


Pieces of Time

by theimpossiblepossiblegirl



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Fluff, Tumblr Prompt, mentions of death caused by fire, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:10:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6532777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimpossiblepossiblegirl/pseuds/theimpossiblepossiblegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of this <a href="http://fleurdeneuf.tumblr.com/post/142530474990/ninerose-au-plot-bunny-up-for-grabs">Tumblr Post</a></p><p>When Samuel Mott lost his wife and unborn child in a fire, he never thought he could allow himself to love again. When Rose Tyler walks into his bakery with her young son, he realizes that he may be able to learn how to love again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Some people are lucky enough to find that one person. _That person._ To fall in love with them, cherish them, and plan a life with them.

Sometimes that luck fades and you lose all hope at ever finding that again.

You have to grieve.

You deny that they are gone and convince yourself that you’ll see them again.

You feel guilty for surviving when they haven’t.

You feel anger that they’ve left you and you try to bargain with whoever is listening to give them back, that you’ll go in their place.

You spend too much time with yourself and you realize that it’s not worth living without them. You start to think of the good times and the not so good times. You remember how their hair smelt, of the scent of their favorite food, and of how they would smile at you in a way that was only yours.

You wake up one morning and you don’t feel as heartbroken as you had been. You feel as though you can make it another day without them, but just one more day.

You find yourself waking up every day and feeling again. You see your friends, read your favorite book, and you smile. You work through problems instead of giving up.

You find yourself accepting what has happened. Eventually. You find the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. You make changes in your life and settle on something new, something you look forward to doing. You still think about them, how their hand fit into yours or the way they smiled. But now, now you smile while you’re thinking about them.

You live every day the way you should.

Eventually, when the timing is right, you find something that starts to repair the hole in your heart. Sometimes that something is someone.

At first you try to deny any feelings but then you start to have the same symptoms you had many years before. Tightness in your chest, the goofy smile, and a longing. The guilt settles in and it takes you time to realize that they wouldn’t want you to be alone, they would want you to be happy.

At some point you let go of the guilt and decide to let yourself be happy. Then you realize what you want, might night be as easy to get as you had hoped.

This new someone is caring, loving, sensitive, everything you’ve ever wanted. Can you make it work? Can you make the decision to love someone else?

You will never forget them. Never. Your heart is big enough and you are lucky enough to be able to love two different people exactly the same way. One will be your first and the second will be your last.

Samuel pulls himself from his thoughts as the door to the bakery opens. It’s the same blonde woman that comes in four times a week for coffee. Sometimes she buys a chocolate milk from the refrigerator. Only when she has the little boy with her. He hasn’t figured out who the little boy was, only that he was important to her.

It started six months ago. The woman visiting his shop. Being that this was a small town, Samuel knew most of the occupants. Either this woman was a recluse, or she had just moved to the town. Either way he wanted to get to know her.

It had been three years since he had opened the shop. He needed a fresh start after everything. Three and a half years ago his entire life changed. One day he was a successful doctor, the next he was lost.

An accident they had called it. _An accident_ had caused him to lose the only woman he had ever loved and their unborn child. He still loved her, Romana, and their child. She hadn’t been far along, only about ten weeks when the fire happened. It had destroyed him. He left their hometown, left the army, and made the move to Gallifrey. Not long after he arrived he opened the bakery. It had been something he loved to do, bake. Romana had always encouraged him to bake just as he encouraged her to write.

Samuel watches the woman and the boy as she picks him up and points to the different cakes they had on display. He listened as the little one laughed excitedly at the choices the woman was pointing out to him.

“You like vanilla, don’t you sweetheart?” He heard the woman question.

“Yes, Mummy.” Was the boy’s response.

 _Mummy._ Oh. Samuel averted his gaze and busied himself with straightening some of the items he had on display. If the boy was her son, that meant she was involved with someone. While he didn’t see a ring, he did see how attractive she was. Surely the boy’s father won’t let her go.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes?” Making his way over to where she was standing, he gave her a grin. “How can I help you?”

“Cake!” The boy blurted out, giggling like mad.

“Sorry.” The woman quietly hushed the boy before looking at Samuel once more. “I’d like to get one of your cupcakes. A vanilla one, please.”

“Of course. Anything else?”

“A chocolate one as well.” She decided, knowing her sister would want to join in the celebration.

“Ick.” The boy told Samuel as he faced him.

“Hush, little one. It’s for Auntie Louise for when we celebrate your birthday tomorrow.”

Samuel grinned as he boxed the two cupcakes up for the woman. “Kid has good taste.”

“Can you say thank you, Tony?”

“Thank you.” He mumbled, stumbling slightly over the words. “Two!”

“Is that how old you’re going to be?” He questioned as he carried the box over towards the register.

“Yeah.” The woman answered on her son’s behalf. “Time flies.”

“It does.” He mused as he looked up. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, I think we’re okay. How much?”

“Two pounds, fifty.”

“Really?” Most bakeries would charge at least five pounds for the cupcakes, she mused to herself. Maybe that’s why he was so successful. She handed the money over to him and took the bag with the cupcakes from him. “Thank you.”

“No problem. Hope you have a good birthday, Tony.” Samuel added, looking at the boy.

“Thanks.” He mumbled, leaning against his mum.

As they walked towards the door, Samuel called out to her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s Rose.” She laughed softly, giving him a grin. “I guess since I come here so often, we might as well know each other’s names.”

“Samuel.”

“It’s nice to put a name to a face. See you.” Rose gave a small wave as she carried Tony out of the bakery, letting the door close behind her.

“Smooth.” He muttered, shaking his head. Romana would want him to be happy, that’s what he needed to remind himself.

It’s said that according to Greek Mythology that we were created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing our power, Zeus split us into two separate parts, condemning us to spend the rest of our lives in search of our other halves.

What happens when you thought you had already found your other half only to lose them? Would that mean you haven’t really found them?

“Hey Doc, who was the blonde?” Jack questioned as he walked out from the back, pulling Samuel from his thoughts.

“Rose.” He answered, shrugging his shoulders. “Came in with her son.”

“Beautiful.” He commented, filling the empty tray with the cookies he had.

“Leave it, Jack.”

“You watch that door every morning until she comes in. Even when she doesn’t come in, you still watch the door.”

“You make it sound like I’m waiting for her.”

“That’s how you act.” Jack spoke slowly as though he were talking to a child.

“She’s nice.”

“Ask her out.”

Samuel shook his head. “She’s got a kid, probably a husband or boyfriend too. One of those pretty boys.”

“Ask her.”

“I’m not asking her, Jack. Leave it.”

“Whatever you want, Doc.” Jack walked into the back again, leaving Samuel to his thoughts.

As he wiped down the counter, Samuel thought about what Jack said. He could talk to her. Even if they became friends, it wouldn’t hurt. Maybe this was also part of the final stage of grieving. He could move on.


	2. Dust Settles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Tony return to the bakery and Samuel gets to know them both as he struggles to move on from his past.

The next time Samuel saw Rose, it was two days after Tony’s birthday. He carried on as normal, but every so often he would look up towards the door to see if she was stopping in. He wasn’t sure what it was about her, what made him want to get to know her, but it was something. _She_ was something. She had walked into the bakery with Tony and ordered a coffee, wanting to sit at one of the tables.

“All of them are open. Pick one and I’ll bring your coffee over. Anything for Tony?”

“You remembered his name?” Rose questioned, not bothering to hide her surprised tone.

“Not many kids come in here.” He shrugged shoulders, looking down at the boy. “Milk? Juice?”

“Milk.” Tony requested, looking between his mum and the man behind the counter.

“Milk then. Regular, please.” She confirmed as they made their way over to two stools that were in front of the counter. As much as she normally preferred a table, she did want to talk to Samuel, get to know him.

When she had mentioned to her sister that she stopped in the bakery and met him, Louise had decided Rose liked the bloke, despite Rose telling her she didn’t. It had been too long since she had been in a relationship, a proper one. She didn’t count what she had with Tony’s father. She hadn’t seen him since she had told him she was pregnant. She had always rushed into things, she was never one to take her time. Maybe now was the time to ease into a friendship with Samuel.

“Mummy?”

Rose pulled herself from her thoughts and looked down at her little boy. “Yeah, sweetheart?”

“Cake?”

Laughing softly, she shook her head at his request. “Not tonight, love. In a few weeks. You’ll need to thank Mr. Samuel for your birthday cupcake.”

Tony looked up at the man as he brought over his mum’s coffee and his milk. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. You can call me Sam, if it’s easier.” He remarked, leaning against the back counter.

“Sam!” Tony parroted as his mum poured his milk into a sippy cup.

“He’ll be saying it all the time now.” She commented, taking a sip from her cup, handing Tony his.

“Don’t mind.” He assured her, shrugging his shoulders. “How was his birthday?”

“Oh, brilliant.” Rose gave him a grin before turning to look at Tony. “His favorite part was his cupcake. Tried to get his Aunt to give him hers too until he realized it was chocolate.”

“Ick.” Tony made a face, shaking his head.

“Chocolate isn’t his favorite anymore.” Rose supplied when she saw Samuel’s confused look.

“Is that why you don’t buy chocolate milk for him anymore?”

“Yeah. He wanted to try some of my dark chocolate one night, and well, he decided chocolate wasn’t the best thing anymore.”

Samuel laughed softly, looking over at the boy. His own child would have been roughly a year older than Tony. While it pained him, he knew he couldn’t dwell in the past anymore and needed to live again. Romana would have wanted him to continue living his life. He would need to force himself to completely move on. He knew Romana and the baby would always be part of him, but it was up to him to not let the pain and grief completely take over him. Jack was constantly on him to make more friends and to socialize and knew it was only because his friend cared.

“Oh Tony, we have to get going.” Rose told the boy, pulling Samuel from his thoughts.

“Tea?” Tony questioned, clutching his cup of milk close to his chest.

“Yeah, it’s time for your tea. Say goodbye to Sam.”

“Bye!”

“Bye, Tony. Rose.”

“Bye, Samuel.”

“You can call me Sam, too. If you want.” He amended, knowing it sounded awkward.

“Just might.” Giving him a grin, Samuel saw her tongue poking out from behind her teeth. “I’ll see you around.” She drained the last of her coffee and placed some notes on the counter before gathering Tony up and leaving.

He leaned back against the counter, still lost in his thoughts. He missed the adventures his army days had given him, but after losing Romana, he knew the army wouldn’t be the best place for him. If he had no one left, he would become reckless and would look for danger. While he had been miserable, joining his wife and unborn child in the afterlife was not something he wanted to do. At least, not anymore.

Jack walked into the bakery, carrying a large box of supplies. Samuel walked around and took the box from him before walking into the back.

“You have that look on your face.” Jack commented as he took Samuel’s abandoned post behind the counter.

“What look?” He grumbled, shooting a glare in Jack’s direction.

“The one where you’re deep in thought which turns into you taking something apart or staying up all night and baking.”

“So? What does it have to do with you?”

“I’m concerned.” Jack stuck his head behind the curtain to look at him. “If you want to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk.” He cut him off, pointing the pair of scissors he had in his hand at him.

“If it’s about Romana – “

“Enough, Jack. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine.” He held his hands up in surrender before moving so he was behind the counter again.

Jack had goaded him once before to talk about Romana and it had left him in a worse frame of mind than he had been in before. He appreciated his friend’s concerns, he couldn’t talk about her. Not anymore. Not to Jack at least. After he put away the supplies, Samuel made his way back to the bakery proper and sat on the stool next to Jack. Neither man spoke, a silent understanding was made between them.

Later that night, Louise walked into the living room of her sister’s flat and watched as Rose slept soundly on the couch. When Rose had fallen pregnant almost three years ago, Louise had been quick to offer whatever support she could. She had moved in with her and changed her classes around so she could be home with Tony while Rose worked. Not for the first time since Tony’s birth, Louise wished that Rose had a partner to share in everything with Tony. Going over to her sister, Louise nudged her slightly to wake her up.

“Rosie?”

“Hm?” Blinking, she looked up to find her little sister looming over her. “Is it Tony?”

“No, he’s sleeping. Wanted to wake you up, make sure you get to bed.”

“Ta.” She let out a yawn and sat up on the couch. “Your tea is in the fridge, if you’re hungry.”

“I’ll heat it up. Go to bed.” Louise insisted, gesturing to the room down the hall.

“Night, Lou.” She let out another yawn before walking down the hallway to the room she shared with Tony.

“Night, Rose.” After Louise was sure she was in her room, she moved into the kitchen to get her tea ready.

Between Rose’s job at the newspaper and what Louise was making as a part time tutor, they were able to easily afford the two bedroom flat. She knew Rose had wanted more, something that would allow Tony to have his own room. Right now, it wasn’t in the cards. They had left London not long before Rose became pregnant, wanting to leave behind the memories of the past and start fresh. They had settled for Cardiff, which in hindsight, both women she have known wasn’t the best idea.

Six months ago, Rose had been offered the position at the newspaper and had decided it would be a good change for them both. Louise would still be able to go to school and it would be a better place for Tony to grow up. It had taken Rose a while to firmly agree to the move, not wanting her sister to uproot her life for her and Tony. In the end it had been Louise that decided she wanted to go and that Rose would be a nutter to give up the position. They made it work, they always did. Louise wasn’t sure what would happen when she got a job and wouldn’t be around to take care of Tony during the day. It would be another bridge to cross and they would worry about it then.


	3. Doors Are Opened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Tony spend the afternoon in the bakery with Sam but end up meeting Jack. As much as Rose wants to learn more about Sam, she worries that she is overstepping.

Over the next few months Rose found herself visiting the bakery more and more. She switched her morning stop to after work, not wanting to have to rush off every morning. On Mondays when Louise had an early class, she would bring Tony along to visit Sam. They had forged a friendship, for which Rose was grateful. Whenever Tony wasn’t with her, Sam always asked how he was, which made her start to bring him around more.

“Mummy, cake?” Tony questioned as they made their way into the bakery. For the past four weeks he asked daily if he could have one of the treats that were held in the case. “Please?” He mumbled, looking up at her with wide eyes.

“I’ll think about it, love.” Rose gave him a soft smile before hoisting him up onto one of the stools in front of the counter. It was a Saturday afternoon and they had just come from the park.

“Hello gorgeous.” Jack stood up from his spot behind the counter and gave Rose a grin. “Captain Jack Harkness and you are?” He questioned as he picked her hand up and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

“Rose.” She giggled softly before taking a seat next to her son. A few of the tables by the windows were occupied but aside from that, the bakery was quiet.

“Don’t start, Jack.” Sam called from the back before grumbling to himself.

“I was just saying hello, Doctor.” He called back, winking at Rose. “So what can I get the two of you?” This was the first chance Jack had to meet Rose. He could see why his friend was smitten with the blonde. Even if he didn’t know it yet.

“Tea for me.” Looking over at Tony she brushed his shirt off. “Do you want milk or juice?”

“Milk!”

“Milk for the little guy, got it.” Jack told her as he pulled a mug down for Rose before going to grab the milk.

“Jack where did you put the boxes of muffin liners?” Sam questioned as he walked out from the back.

“I think they’re up there.” Rose gestured to the shelf that was above the back display.

“Rose.” He grinned as he walked over to her and Tony. “Hello Tony. Did you convince your mum to let you get something today?”

“No.” He mumbled before glancing up at his mum. “Please?”

“I said I would think about it, love.” She gave him a grin before looking up to Sam again. “How are you today?”

“Good. You?”

“Good. I met Jack.” She gestured to the man as he brought over Rose’s tea and Tony’s milk.

“Anything else I can get you two?” Jack leaned against the counter and gave her a grin.

“Oi, Jack. Don’t start.”

“I’m making friends with Rose. Can’t I be friends with her?”

“No. Go do something else.”

Rose handed Tony his cup of milk, trying to hide her smile. “I really don’t mind Jack hanging around, Sam.”

“Fine.” He grumbled as he moved to grab the stool to sit down.

“Listen to the pretty lady, Doc.”

“Why do you call him Doctor?” She questioned before taking a sip from her mug.

Jack and Sam exchanged glances before Sam excused himself from the group. His army days were not something he wanted to bring up again. Not after what happened to Romana. He would let Jack tell Rose whatever he wanted to.

“Did I say something wrong?” She asked Jack quietly, a worried look on her face.

“He doesn’t like to talk about his army days.”

“I won’t pry.”

“It’s where I gave him his nickname.” Jack told her quietly, wanting her to know the truth. “He was a doctor. I was stationed with him during his last tour. Before he quit. I started call him Doctor because took care of everyone. The name stuck.”

“Who is there to take care of him?” Rose’s voice was just above a whisper as she glanced down at Tony before her eyes met Jack’s again. They stared at each for a few moments until Tony tugged on his mum’s shirt.

“Mummy I see Sam.” He whispered, eyeing Jack wearily.

“I think Sam would like that, buddy.” Jack told him softly.

“You can go see him, sweetheart. Just be careful.”

Tony nodded his head and jumped down from his stool before going around the counter. He let Jack point him in the right direction and squealed when he saw Sam. “Sam!”

“You shouldn’t be back here, Tony.” He crouched down so he was more level with little boy. “Everything okay?”

“Sam sad?” He questioned, his little hands resting on Sam’s knee.

“Nah, I’m all right. Don’t care much for grownup talk, me.” He teased the boy, tickling him lightly. “Did your mum say if you could get a treat?”

“No.” He shook his head quickly, his eyes wide. “Please?”

“I’ll ask her. You should get one for coming to check on me.” He stood up and carefully picked Tony up in his arms before walking around the stockroom with him, showing him where everything was stored. He knew if his child were still alive, he would be showing them around the same way he was showing Tony around. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone but himself but he grew to care about Rose and Tony over the past few months. He never asked about the boy’s father and only knew that Rose wasn’t seeing anyone. Her sister, Louise, helped her out during the day so she could work and when they needed, her cousin Dot helped out.

“Let’s go find your mum, yeah?”

“Mummy!” Tony giggled, resting his head on Sam’s shoulder.

As they walked out, Sam could see Rose talking with Jack, a frazzled expression on her face. He knew it wasn’t because of Tony, she trusted him with Tony, which meant she had been worried. More than likely it was about himself.

“Is it all right if I give the kid a cupcake to take home?” Sam questioned Rose as he settled Tony down on the ground.

“Are you sure?”

“Wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.” He grumbled out, looking at her.

“Thank you. I think he would like that.” She gave him a tentative smile and let a breath out when he returned it with a smile of his own. “What kind of cupcake would you like, my love?” She looked over at Tony who had moved to stand next to her.

“Nilla.”

“Vanilla.” She corrected him softly. “Go with Sam and he’ll get you sorted.”

Jack leaned over the counter while Sam was busy with Tony and whispered to Rose. “I think the only bright part of his day is seeing you. Even more when you bring Tony in.”

“I’m sure there are other bright parts of his day.” She whispered back with a shake of her head.

A look of understanding passed between them before Rose blushed and turned her head away to watch Sam with Tony. Having friends like Sam and soon Jack, she was grateful that Tony would have both of them to look up to and use as role models. Had she not left London, he would have missed out on all of this. She would have missed out on all of this.

“Only one.” Rose told them as he saw Sam put a second cupcake into the box.

“He wants to share with you.” He told her softly as he sealed up the box and sent Tony to go back to his mum. Walking over to her, he slid the box in front of her, a grin on his face. “Can’t disappoint the boy, can you Rose?”

“No, suppose not.” She murmured, picking Tony up so he sat in her lap. “How much do I owe you?”

“On the house.”

“I can’t.”

“You can. Tony made sure I was okay, right buddy?”

“Yeah.” He nodded his head quickly, looking up at his mum.

“Thank you. I’ll find a way to repay you.”

Rose and Tony left the bakery a few minutes later with a wave to both Sam and Jack. She couldn’t fathom how Sam could be friends with Jack. He was nice, but the complete opposite of Sam. Jack did seem like the type of person Sam needed in his life so perhaps that was the reason. They were both kind men. It made her wonder what had happened to him in his past to make him put up such a tough exterior. Maybe it had to do with his army days or whatever happened three years ago that made him move here. Either way, she hoped whatever it was wouldn’t cause him grief for much longer.

Before Sam made his way into the backroom again, he turned to Jack with a sour look on his face. “Leave Rose alone.” Without waiting for a reply, he made his way into the back, closing the door behind him.

Jack simply grinned as he shook his head. Despite what he wanted people to think, his friend cared. It had been almost four years since he lost his wife and while Jack knew Sam would always love her, he was happy to see that he was trying to start over. He just hoped it would be with Rose.


	4. Mixed Wires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Dot and Louise stop in at the bakery to meet Rose, they leave a lasting impression on Sam.

“Tony seems to be in a good mood.” Sam commented as he watched him bouncing up and down in front of the window.

“My sister and cousin are going to meet us here. My sister has been with my cousin the past few days and he’s missed her.”

“She watches him during the day, right?”

Rose smiled softly, nodding her head. “Yeah. She’s finished with school now though, so she’s looking for a job. He’s going to daycare once she’s working.” She let out a sigh and looked over to where Tony was now climbing onto a chair. “He’s growing up so quickly.”

“That does tend to happen.”

“Shut up.” Rose laughed softly, turning her head to look at him. “Where is Jack? I haven’t seen him in the past few days.”

“Went to visit a friend in London. He should be back in a couple of hours.”

“Too bad. I told my sister, Louise, about him and she wants to meet him.”

“You can stick around and wait for him.” Sam reminded her. Walking to the other side of the counter, he poured her a mug of tea before carrying it over to her.

“Might have to.”

“I have something in the back you can give Tony for his tea.” He cleared his throat softly, the tips of his ears turning red.

“Yeah?” Rose grinned as she picked up her mug. “Thank you.”

“Lou!” Tony screeched as the woman came into the bakery. “Dot!”

Rose glanced over the women before turning her gaze to Sam’s again. “Come over and say hi. They would both like to meet you.”

“How do they know about me?”

“Tony is a big fan of yours. He tells Louise about you every time he sees you.” She made her way over to where Tony had decided they needed to sit and hugged her sister and cousin. It had been far too long since she had seen the latter and was excited about spending an afternoon with her.

When she had found out she was pregnant with Tony, the two people she had turned to were her sister and her cousin. After she told his father, a man she had been with for only two months, she was left on her own. At her six-month mark, Louise decided to move in with her and help her raise Tony. Dot was around whenever she could be and Rose was forever grateful. But what Rose missed most of all was having a father for Tony, someone to marvel with her at all of Tony’s achievements.

Sam walked over to the table a while later to see if they had wanted to order anything. Rose conceded to Tony’s request of a cookie while Dot and Louise ordered coffees. He brought them back over to the table after Rose brought Tony to the restroom, trying his best not to overhear their conversations.

“She needs to start dating again.” Dot commented as she looked something up on her phone. “I found the most perfect bloke for her.

“She said she wants to focus on Tony, now that she’ll be on her own.”

“She can still focus on him and date. It’s been three years.”

“That scum burned her, Dot.” Louise grumbled as she slouched in her seat.

Sam dropped the coffees off and Tony’s cookie before returning to his spot behind the counter. Shouldn’t Rose have a say in if she should start dating again or not? Part of him hoped she would want to start dating again. Yes, it was a bit selfish of him to think about him asking her out, but Rose was special. She deserved the best. Not that he was, but he could try, couldn’t he? He smiled at Rose as she came back with Tony and joined her family at the table.

It wasn’t until Jack walked in that reality sunk in. She wouldn’t want to date him. Not when she would have better prospects. Someone better for Tony. He also wasn’t sure if he was ready to be with someone that wasn’t his wife. _She would want you to be happy_. Jack’s voice rang softly in his mind. He glanced over at the table to see Jack was now sitting with them, his arm around Louise’s chair. Rose had moved from her spot and as he turned around, he saw she was waiting for him at the other end of the counter.

“Do you need something?” He questioned, his voice a bit more rough than usual.

“Can I take you up on the offer for Tony’s tea?”

“Course. Chicken fingers okay?”

“Brilliant. You’ll win him over with those.” She gave him a grin, her tongue poking out slightly as she tilted her head. “Thanks for letting us stay this long.”

“Don’t mind. Jack seems to be hitting off with Louise.”

“Yeah, he is. I think he’s already given her his number.” She cleared her throat softly. “Is he an okay bloke?”

“Jack? Yeah, he is. He’ll treat her well.” Sam assured her.

“Thanks.” Making her way back over to the table, she sat down next to Tony and smoothed a hand over the back of his head.

“I have a bloke I’d like you to meet.” Dot told her after sharing a look with Louise. “He’s single, no kids of his own but has loads of nieces and nephews. He works at the agency with me.”

“Dottie, I already told you and Louise that I’m not ready to date. I want to focus on Tony for a bit.”

“One date, Rose. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Can I think about it?” She looked at Tony and gave him a grin before looking at her cousin again. “What did you tell him about me?”

“That you’re single, have a son, and you’re gorgeous.”

She rolled her eyes softly as Jack, Louise, and Dot laughed at her. “Thanks for that.”

Jack decided to walk Louise home that night while Rose said goodbye to Dot.

“Think about it, Rosie. He’s a good bloke.”

“I will. I’ll call you later in the week.” Rose hugged her goodbye before looking down to see that Tony was playing quietly with one of his toy cars. “Ready to go little man?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to go say goodbye to Sam?” She helped him down from the chair and walked over to the counter with him so he could say goodnight.

“Bye, Tony.” He bent down and gave the boy a hug before standing up again. “Rose.” He nodded swiftly before turning towards the other end of the counter.

Rose frowned slightly as she and Tony made their way out of the bakery. After she had asked for Tony’s tea, he started acting off, even for him. He would usually stick around at the table for a few minutes and chat with her when it was just her and Tony. Maybe it was because Louise and Dot were there? He seemed fine with them when they first walked in. Had Jack said something to him? Dot’s comment about her needing to start dating again and hit something on her. She wasn’t sure if she was ready, but it had been almost three years since she had been out on a date.

The one person she could see herself dating was Sam. He was so kind to her and to Tony and she loved the relationship that her son had with him. Maybe he had overheard the conversation they were having about dating and mistook something he heard? He had lost his wife and maybe the thought of dating upset him. She couldn’t imagine what was going on in his head.

As she made her way to her building, she picked Tony up as they walked past Louise and Jack who were busy snogging against the building. Suppressing a smile, she made her way in and up to her flat. She never imagined her sister would be into Jack but she was happy for them both.

“Mummy?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?” She placed him down and helped him to take off his sneakers.

“Sleepy.”

“Oh I know. How about we skip a bath and you can take one in the morning?” She gave him a grin as she walked him into the bedroom. After Louise found her own place, Tony would be moving into that room and Rose would have her own room again. He had been excited, even if it meant his aunt wouldn’t be living with them anymore.

Once Tony was settled, Rose walked into her bathroom and took a quick shower before going back into her bedroom. With Sam’s attitude towards her high over her head, she decided to slip into her bed and have an early night. She had thought that over the last several months they became friends and hoped that to still be trued, despite any feelings they either had or didn’t have. Why did this all have to be so complicated?

Two weeks later, Rose was beyond frustrated. Sam barely spoke to her and if he did speak, it was mostly directed at Tony. It pained her to know that he was throwing away their friendship over something she wasn’t even aware of. She had tried to talk to Jack, see if Dot or Louise had said something to him but Jack wasn’t aware of either of them saying anything. It was with a pained heart that Rose took Dot up on her offer to set her up with someone.

While Jack wouldn’t admit it to Rose, he knew what was on his friend’s mind. Sam was always a quiet person, very reserved. Rose brought out a new side to him, one Jack felt suited the man well. He knew that Sam missed his wife and understood why he was hesitant about dating someone. Jack hoped he would open his eyes and see what was right in front of them.


	5. Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose grows tired of Sam ignoring her, she confronts him after another one of her failed dates. As they talk, she learns more about him while he learns more about her.

“You could talk to her instead of moping.” Jack reminded him as he washed the dishes in the backroom. “You might be surprised.”

“I don’t need to talk to her. I don’t need to do anything.” Sam mumbled, glancing over at his friend.

“Doc, when was the last time you were happy?”

“Don’t need to be happy, me. I have this place. I’m fine.”

Jack shook his head and dropped the conversation. It had been three weeks since Rose had started dating again and five weeks since Sam and Rose had spoken properly. She still came into the bakery, but it was only to grab some coffee or tea and leave. Every time she tried to speak to him, Sam would walk away, leaving Rose bewildered. It had been five days since she had set foot in the bakery and Jack could see it was bothering Sam. He wondered how much longer it was continue.

Rose had gone on date number six with just as many men and was getting frustrated with her sister and cousin. She knew they meant well, but none of the guys she went out with made her feel anything. Not when she had her heart set on someone else. After leaving her date early that night, she headed home. As soon as she could, she was going to tell Dot and Louise that she was done dating.

Since Tony was with Louise and Dot for the night, she parked her car in front of her building and decided to take a walk around town. She had been so grateful for the chance to be away from London. She still was. She just hoped she would be able to be truly happy here. Without realizing where she was going, Rose found herself outside of the bakery. Taking a deep breath, she walked in and approached the counter when Sam was standing.

“Rose.” He was surprised she had come in, considering the time of night and how long she had been away.

“Hello.”

“Blimey, you look beautiful. Considering.”

“Considering what?” She questioned, a bit confused by his comment.

He cleared his throat quietly. “Never mind. Can I get you something? Tea? Coffee?”

“Tea, would be lovely, ta.” Rose sat down on one of the stools and unbuttoned her coat. She watched as Sam pulled a mug down and filled with tea before placing it down in front of her along with some milk. When he didn’t move away, she looked up at him, frowning slightly. “Don’t you need to go do something else?”

“No. Thought I could keep you company.”

“Now you want to keep me company? You’ve been ignoring me for the past few weeks. What because no one else is around I’m suddenly good enough?” She bit out, sitting up straighter in her chair.

“I’ve been busy, you’re the one that stopped coming in after work.”

“I stopped coming in because you’ve been an arse to me.”

“I didn’t want to have to see you bringing blokes in and out of the bakery. Watch them as they hurt you, or worse.” His eyes went wide as what he said sunk in. Looking away, he felt the tips of his ears start to burn in embarrassment.

“That’s what this has all been about? You didn’t want me to date?” She let out a harsh laugh. “That’s not your decision, Sam. It’s my decision.”

Jack walked out from the back room upon hearing their argument and placed a hand on Sam’s chest, pushing him away from the counter. “What my slightly flustered friend is trying to say is that he wanted you to date him, not other men.”

“Is this true?” Rose questioned softly, her gaze focused on Sam.

“Yeah, it is.” He mumbled as he glared at Jack.

“You could have said. But how did you find out I was dating again?”

“I heard Louise and Dot talking about it when they came in.” He admitted as he pushed Jack’s hand away.

“You shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, Sam.”

“I know.” He cleared his throat and turned his attention on Jack. “Could you leave us?”

“I’ll be in the back. No arguing, or I’m locking you both in a closet.” He paused before giving them both a smirk. “Though, that would solve a lot of problems.”

“Thanks, Jack.” Sam pushed his friend into the back as Rose laughed. “I’m sorry I was ignoring you. I’ve wanted to ask you out for a few months and when I finally decided to, I heard Dot and Louise trying to fix you up.”

“All of the blokes they’ve set me up with are tossers.” She offered, a tentative smile on her face. “I was going to tell them tomorrow when I picked Tony up that I didn’t want them to set me up with anyone else.”

“Thought they would have set you up with all of the pretty boys they could find.”

“That’s the problem though.” Rose tilted her head to the side and gave him a grin, her tongue resting against her two front teeth. “I need someone in my life that’s good with kids. Most of the blokes they set me up with wouldn’t be able to handle knowing I had a son. At least, not like you can.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She confirmed, a light blush covering her cheeks.

“Just kiss already!” Jack called from the back room.

“Jack, leave it.” Sam called back.

“I like Jack’s idea.” She added as she fixed her tea the way she liked it.

“I’d rather our first kiss wasn’t in the bakery.”

“It would be sort of fitting though.” Rose pointed out. “We did meet here after all.”

“Suppose. Rather leave it until the timing is right.”

“Don’t wait too long.” Jack told him as he stood in the doorway. He shot a wink to Rose before retreating to the back once more.

Sam rolled his eyes as he leaned against the counter. “I should apologize for my behavior.”

“Yeah, but we both know you don’t like to apologize.” She countered before taking a sip of her tea.

“I do when I know I’m in the wrong. I am sorry, Rose.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t because you were having doubts? I don’t know much of your past, but I do see the pain in your eyes.”

He could see the concern in her eyes was genuine and as much as he wanted to tell her about everything, he wasn’t sure if now was the right time. He had lost touch with all of his friends from before, except Jack, and it had been nice to be able to talk to Rose and not see the sympathy in her eyes. “Did you drive here?”

“No, I walked. Left my car in front of the building.”

“Can I walk you home? We can talk on the way.”

“I’d like that.” Rose glanced around the bakery before looking back at Sam. “Are you normally open this late?”

“We stay open late on Saturdays. I’ll be closing soon.”

“I’ll close up.” Jack called from the back room. “You take Rose home.”

“I swear he has me bugged.” Sam mumbled to Rose, causing her to laugh.

“He’s a good friend though, yeah?”

His eyes softened as he nodded his head. “Yeah.”

While they were walking to Rose’s flat, she slipped her hand into his and was quite surprised when he squeezed her hand gently. He didn’t seem to be one for handholding, but then again, she really didn’t know everything about him.

“Can I ask you something?” He questioned softly as they stood at a corner, waiting to cross.

“Of course.”

“Where is Tony’s father? If it’s too hard to discuss, you don’t have to.” He added once he saw the look on her face.

“No, I don’t mind. He and I were only together for two months when I found myself pregnant. I told him and he didn’t take it well. He left.” She shrugged her shoulders softly as they crossed the street. “Louise decided when I was six months pregnant that she would move in with me. I told her she could only stay until she finished school, but I’ve been grateful for her help.”

“Where is Louise tonight?”

“She’s been staying with Dot on weekends while she looks for a new place to live. Her new job is about an hour from here so it makes sense. Tony was upset.” She mused, a hint of a smile on her face. “But then he realized he would have his own room and he’ll get to go to day care. He’s a bit better about it now.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“I’m fine. I’m happy for her, really. She was there when I needed her help, but now I’m looking forward to it being Tony and me in the flat. She’s going after her dreams.”

“Could always watch Tony for you, if you needed someone.”

“Thank you. Jack offered the same.”

“Thought he would follow your sister.”

Rose snorted quietly. “That’s been over for weeks. I think they only went out a few times. She mentioned something about finding someone near her new place. Jack mentioned someone by the name of Donna?”

“She’s my cousin. They’ve been together off and on for a few years now. Think they might make a proper go of it.”

“The same Donna that runs the clothing boutique not far from the bakery?”

“Same one.”

As they stopped in front of her building, Rose looked up at him, a soft smile on her lips. “Would you like to come up for some tea? Thought we could finish our conversation.” While she wanted to know more about him, she didn’t want to push him.

“There are some things from my past that might make you not want to be with me.”

“I’d like to be the judge of that. You’ve done enough deciding what was or wasn’t good for me.”

“On your head be it.”

Rose opened the door for them and ushered him up the two flights of stairs to her floor. “It’s not much, it’s what I can afford.”

“I’m sure its fine, Rose.”

Once they were inside, after they hung their coats up, she showed him into the living room, while she made them some tea. She heard him turn the radio on and slip one of her CDs in. As the classical music played quietly, she peaked around the doorway to see what he was doing. She watched as he examined her picture frames and knew when he picked photographs of Tony up, not by the frame, but the smile on his face.

When she carried the mugs into the living room a few minutes later, she cleared her throat to avoid startling him. “Tony misses you.”

“I miss him too.” He admitted, taking the mug from her. “Will you bring him in tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I will. I’ll leave Dot and Louise here so they don’t scare you off again.” She teased him lightly as she settled down on the couch.

“Ta.” He settled down on the other end of the couch and turned so he was looking at her. “I was married.” He told her quietly, a few minutes later.

“I remember you mentioning something to me once.” She told him softly. “What happened?”

“There was a fire, she couldn’t get out in time. She was pregnant, around ten weeks along. She wasn’t feeling well and I had gone out to get her something for her stomach. It was an electrical fire, started with the room she was in and moved down to the lower part of the house. It wasn’t safe for anyone else to go in.”

“I’m so sorry, Sam.”

“Everyone keeps saying it’s not my fault. If I had been there.”

“You could have been hurt too, trying to get them out.” She moved closer to him and resting a hand on his arm. “I can’t pretend to know what you went through, what you’re still going through, but I do know it is hard losing someone you love. Your wife wouldn’t have wanted you to blame yourself, nor would she have wanted you to get hurt.”

“My little one would have been about a year and a half older than Tony.” He looked down at his mug before taking a sip. “Probably why I took to him.”

“I’m glad he has you.” Moving her hand to his back, she rubbed circles over his shoulder as she watched him. “What was her name?”

“Romana.”

“How did you meet?”

“It was right before I went off to war. I was a doctor in the army, did three tours. I met Jack on my last one. The fire happened about four months after my last tour ended. Never went back. When Jack finished his last tour, he came here and told me I should join him. Decided to open up the bakery.”

“She would have been proud of you. For doing something you enjoy instead of going back to the army.”

“I did enjoy being in the army. I was able to travel often.” He admitted. “I miss traveling.”

“Could always take time off and travel.” She reminded him. Placing her hand over his, she gave him a small smile. “If you ever want to talk about any of it, I’m here.”

“It was four years ago.”

“Time doesn’t stop all wounds from hurting. If you’re not ready to date again, I will understand that.”

“I am ready, I think.” He leaned back against the couch. “Jack told me that Romana wouldn’t want me to be alone. Says I’m not getting any younger.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m thirty-five. You?”

“Twenty-eight.” Placing her mug down on the table, she turned to face him. He looked worn down and it pulled at her heart. He was so young, yet he had already lived a lifetime. “Aside from Donna, do you have any other family?”

“My granddad is still alive. Donna’s mum is around too. Don’t talk to her much. What about you?”

“My dad died when I was ten, Louise had just turned three. Car accident.”

“I’m sorry, Rose.”

“I don’t really remember him.” She shrugged, tugging on the hem of her dress. “Mum remarried when I was seventeen. Nasty bloke. I wouldn’t leave Louise alone with him so I stayed at home while I went to university. As soon as we could, we left. Moved to Cardiff. I made Louise finish school then made sure she went to University.”

“Did he hurt you?” When she didn’t answer, he ran his hand gently along her arm. “Rose?”

“Yeah, he did. I defended us, never did anything too serious to us. I made sure of that. I don’t know if Mum knew what was going on but we haven’t seen her since we left. She doesn’t know about Tony.”

Lost for words, Sam pulled her to rest against his side, trying to offer her comfort. They had both been through so much. Perhaps the universe had worked to make sure they had each other. Not when they needed each other the most, but when the timing was right. “It’s time someone looked out for you and for Tony. If you’ll allow me, I would like to be that person.”

“I would like that.” Her voice was quiet. She let out a breath, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Only Louise and I know what happened, we haven’t told anyone else. At least, I don’t think she’s told anyone else.”

“I won’t say anything, Rose.”

They stayed cuddled on the couch as they sipped their tea. Rose looked up at the clock a while later to check the time. It was almost one in the morning and she felt both exhausted and wide-awake. She had felt better after talking to Sam and while she felt as though there was more to his story, she would let him tell her when he was comfortable telling her.

“I should go.” Sam told her quietly as he noticed the time. “I close the bakery at two tomorrow. Would you and Tony like to come for tea?”

“Are you sure we wouldn’t be imposing?”

“I’m inviting you. If you were imposing, I wouldn’t have invited you.”

“All right then, yeah, we’ll be there. Where is it that you live?”

“I live in the flats above the bakery. I bought the whole building.”

“What made you decide on a bakery though?”

“I enjoy baking.” He laughed softly as he stood up from the couch before helping her up. “Come over at two? We can spend the afternoon together.”

“Can I bring a toy or two for Tony?”

“Whatever he needs.”

Rose slipped her hand into Sam’s and walked him over to the door. After he put his coat on, he bent and placed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

“I’m glad we talked.” She admitted softly. “I’m sorry if Louise and Dot upset you with trying to set me up.”

“Didn’t want to lose the chance with you.”

“You’re first choice. Since I walked into the bakery eleven months ago.” She assured him, a light blush on her cheeks. “It’s all behind us now.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I might not visit in the morning, but we’ll be there for two.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“I do have one question, before you go.”

“Anything.”

“Do you really think I’m beautiful?”

“Very much so. I hope one evening you’ll dress up for me.” He admitted, ducking his head down slightly.

“Course.” Laughing softly, she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “As many evenings as you want me to.”

After Sam left, Rose locked up the flat. When she had been with Tony’s father, she never told him anything about her past. He never asked. Hearing Sam’s story made her realize she shouldn’t take anything for granted. Especially Tony and the rest of her family. Maybe it was time to call her mum to see how she was and to let her know about her grandson. She just hoped they could repair their relationship while she started a new one with Sam.


	6. Approval Needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam gets to know Rose and Tony more as he and Rose have their first date

Tony ran into the flat as soon as his Aunt opened the door for him the next morning. He usually stayed home while his mum went out so it had been a treat to visit Dot’s flat for the night. It had been hard on both mother and son to be apart but Rose had been grateful to have the time to talk to Sam and work out her own feelings. Part of her knew Sam was perfect for her and Tony while the other part wondered why he wanted to be with her. Were they a stand in for the family he had lost? She had scolded herself for even thinking that, but the thought had crossed her mind. Going over to her son, she picked him up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Mummy!”

“I missed you so much, love. Did you have fun with Auntie Louise and Dot?”

“Yes.”

“Dot said he’s welcome to come over again.” Louise told her sister as she closed the door. “What happened last night? All I got from you was that I wasn’t allowed to set you up on any more dates. Did you and Brian hit it off?”

“No, we didn’t. He was horrible, Louise. I left early and walked around town. I’m done letting you set me up with random blokes.” Rose set Tony down and helped him with his sweater before he went off to play. She was going to try to hide her hopefully budding relationship with Sam from her for as long as possible. “I just want time with Tony.”

Seeing the look on her sister’s face, Louise nodded her head. “Fine, fine. I know you’ll find the right one when the time is right. Do you think you’ll try to make up with Sam?”

“Yeah, I will. I’m going to bring Tony over there this afternoon. Are you going back to Dot’s tonight?”

“Do you have someone to mind Tony tomorrow?”

“Mrs. Norris from downstairs said she could watch him.”

“I probably will then. I’ll leave around three then. I have to put the deposit down on the new flat.”

Rose gave her a smile. “I’m happy for you. Tony and I will miss you being here.”

“I’ll still come and visit. I’ll only be an hour away.” Louise hugged her sister tightly. “You’ve done so much for me, Rose. I’ll never forget it.”

“You’ve done a lot for me too, Louise. I never would have made it on my own.” Rose pulled back and looked at her. “You can still come to me, if you need to.”

“I will. I promise.” Louise gestured to her room. “I should organize everything so I’ll know how many boxes to get.”

“Good luck.”

While Louise was busy in her room, Rose took the opportunity to spend time with Tony. These were her favorite moments, no matter what was going on in her life. Sitting on the floor, she grabbed a couple of his toys and let him decide what they would play.

“Mummy?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“See Sam?”

“We’ll go see him around two, yeah? Do you miss him?”

“Yes.” He nodded his head quickly, handing his mum one of his toy cars. “No see him.”

“I know. But we’ll see him today and we’ll try to see him every day we can, okay?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like it if Sam were around more? He could come here and visit us or we could go to his house and visit him.” She smoothed a hand over Tony’s head, making him giggle as his hair stood up.

He nodded his head quickly before climbing into his mum’s lap. “See Sam lots.”

“I’d like it too, buddy.” She whispered as she pulled him in for a cuddle.

Not long before two, Rose packed a small bag for Tony before they said goodbye to Louise. Balancing Tony on her hip, Rose walked the few blocks over to the bakery. She had been looking forward to their afternoon and evening together since he asked her the night before and hoped he was looking forward to it as well. This would be the real test, how he got along with Tony outside of the bakery. As they neared, Rose set Tony down and held onto his hand as they walked in. The sign was marked as closed, but Sam had told her he would keep the door unlocked for her.

“Hello?”

“Sam!” Tony called before letting go of his mum’s hand.

“Just a mo.” He called back as he finished something up in the back. Wiping his hands he walked out to the front just in time to see Tony running towards him. Bending down, he picked the boy up in his arms. “Still running from your mum I see.”

“Missed Sam.”

Rose smiled at the pair as she walked over to them. “He missed you very much. Kept asking about you this morning.”

“He the only one that missed me?”

“No, he’s not.” She blushed softly as she shook her head.

Sam leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I missed you too.” Turning to Tony, he bounced the boy slightly. “Want to go upstairs? I can show you where I live.”

“Yes.” Tony wrapped his arms around Sam’s neck as he held on to the man.

“Do you need to close up down here?”

“Would you mind locking the door?” He requested as he took Tony’s bag from her.

Rose shook her head softly before locking the door. As they headed upstairs, Rose let out a small breath. She had been worried about Tony’s reaction to spending more time with Sam and while she wanted the two of them to get to know each other, she also wanted to know more about Sam herself. Sam held the door for her once they reached the door to his flat and put Tony down to follow his mum.

“I never got around to decorating, but it is home.”

“It’s gorgeous, Sam.” Rose took her sweater off before taking Tony’s off as she set them off to the side. “Can we look around?”

“Of course. It has four bedrooms. I turned one into a workroom, but the other two are empty. Just have storage things in there.”

“I’ll try not to get lost.” Taking Tony’s hand, she gave Sam a grin before they went off to look around.

While Rose took Tony to look around, Sam placed the bag Rose had brought on the floor before settling down on the couch. The last woman he had dated was Romana and he quite frankly had no idea what he was doing then. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing now. He hoped Rose would take pity on him and suggest things for the two of them to do. He could ask Jack, so long as Jack kept his idea clean.

Rose let go of Tony’s hand and let him walk ahead of her back to the living room once they were done looking around. She watched as he ran over to his bag and looked up at Sam before opening it. “You’ll have to ask him, love.” She reminded Tony as she walked over to him.

“Does he need something?”

“Play?” Tony questioned, his eyes wide.

“He wants to take his toys out, if that’s okay.” Rose explained once she saw Sam’s confused look.

“Course it is. Do you need help?”

“No.” Tony shook his head before opening the bag and taking his cars out.

“Don’t lose them. Else Sam will be stepping on cars in the middle of the night.” Walking over to the couch, Rose sat down next to Sam while Tony scooted around the floor with his cars.

“Does he like cars?”

“Yeah, he does. Trains and planes too. His favorite toy is his bear, Otis. Can’t go to sleep without it.” Rose leaned against his side as they watched Tony. “Your place is amazing. I can see why you like it up here.”

“It’s just a place.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’d like to do more with it, just don’t know what.”

“Maybe some pictures or art for your walls.”

“Will you help me?”

“Course I will.”

Sam wrapped his arm around her as he turned his head to watch Tony as he moved around the room. He could only imagine how hard it had been for Rose over the past two years, raising Tony. He was such an incredible toddler and it made Sam long for what he had missed with his own child. He wondered if he would ever get the chance again. He knew no one would replace his wife or child, but he still longed for a family.

“Something on your mind?” Rose questioned softly, letting her hand rest against his chest.

“Just watching Tony. He’s a good kid.”

“Yeah, he is. It’s not too much for you, is it?”

“No. I miss them, but Romana wouldn’t want me to be alone. I just wonder what would have happened if they were still here.” He admitted quietly.

“Don’t let the maybes bring you down.” She whispered quietly as she watched him. “I wish they were still here with you.”

Sam looked at her, trying to decide if he heard her correctly. If his wife was still alive, they wouldn’t be sitting like this, starting a new relationship. But then he realized she would put his own happiness before her own. He was a daft man that had been lucky not only once, twice. Tilting her chin up, Sam searched her eyes for any doubts before pressing his lips to hers. The kiss started off tentatively, allowing themselves to adjust to someone new. He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her closer as her nose brushed against his before kissing him again. It wasn’t until they heard Tony giggling that they separated, both with guilty smiles on their faces.

“What’s so funny, sweetheart?” Rose questioned her son as she sat him on her lap.

“Kissy face.”

“Can I kiss your mum, Tony?” Sam questioned as he rested his hand on Rose’s back.

“Yuck.”

Rose and Sam shared a laugh before she tickled Tony a bit. “Is it okay if I kiss your mum, Tony?” He cleared his throat quietly. “I care very much for both you and your mum.”

“He’s not going to understand you.” Rose whispered to Sam, secretly pleased that he was taking this seriously with Tony.

“We’ll see.” He mumbled back before holding his hand out to Tony. “Would be okay if your mum and I got together?”

“See Sam lots?” The boy questioned, handing Sam his toy car.

“Yeah, buddy. You’ll see me as much as you want. You can come up here, or I’ll spend time with you and your mum at your house.”

Tony nodded his head quickly and held his arms out for Sam to pick him up. “Kissy Mummy.”

Rose snorted softly as she handed Tony over to Sam. “Least I know how much I’m worth to him.”

“He’s two, he doesn’t understand.” He reminded her as he held Tony on his lap. “You love your mum, don’t you?”

“Yes.” He nodded his head quickly, his eyes wide.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” She pinched Tony’s cheeks gently before kissing his nose. “I’ll make sure I spend equal time with both of my boys, yeah? We’ll still have our Saturday morning snuggles together.”

“When do I get snuggles?” Sam questioned, giving Rose a grin.

“Saturday nights?” She teased him as she sat up on the couch. “We could have a set date night of either Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons. I also want you to get to know Tony too.”

“We can include him too, Rose.” Sam reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. “I do want to get to know him too. We can have time for just us once he goes to bed.”

“Can I ask you something?” She bit her lip as she wriggled her fingers together.

“Anything.”

“It’s just, please don’t take offense to what I’m asking.”

“I won’t. You can ask me anything.”

“You’ve asked me out because you want to, yeah? Not because you want a family?”

He shook his head softly. “I asked you out because I wanted to. No one could replace Romana, but having you in my life brings something I didn’t realize I needed. I won’t say I don’t want a family, because one day I do. Hopefully it will be with you and Tony.”

Rose let out a watery chuckle as she leaned against his hand. “I would like that too.”

Sam walked them home around seven, despite Rose telling him they would be fine. He carried a sleeping Tony while she carried his bag, her free hand secured in his. Their evening together had been wonderful. Sam had trouble about picking something to make that Tony would eat, but was surprised when Rose assured him that Tony wasn’t a fussy eater. Everything about Tony and Rose surprised him and he looked forward to spending more time with them both.

Once they were in front of her building, Rose looked up at him, her voice low. “Would you like to come up for a bit? I know you’ll have to get up early tomorrow.”

“Don’t need much sleep, me. I’ll come up.”

After they settled Tony in his crib, Rose led Sam out to the living room. They settled down on the couch together and as Rose searched for something they could watch, Sam ran his fingers through her hair. He had been surprised when she asked him if she and Tony were a replacement for Romana and the baby. While he understood why she was asking, he realized how she might feel about their situation. She wasn’t a replacement for Romana and Tony wasn’t a replacement for the baby, he knew that much. Nothing could bring them back.

“Sam?”

“Yeah?” He turned his head and gave her a smile.

“You all right? I was asking you if this was fine.”

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Whatever you want to watch, I’ll watch.”

“You’re okay though, yeah?”

“Fantastic.”

“Good.” Resting her head against his shoulder, Rose let out a content sigh. “I need to find a bed for Tony. He’s grown out of the crib.”

“Does that one convert into a bed?”

“No, it doesn’t. It was a hand me down from one of Dot’s friends. Most of the things I have for him are.”

“I’ll see where I can find a bed for him at a good deal and let you know.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Course not. When is Louise moving out?”

“She’s putting a deposit down on a flat tomorrow, so whenever that’s ready. Probably two weeks. She’s going to be a tutor for the summer before she goes into teaching at the end of August.”

“Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” She looked up at him, giving him a soft smile. “It’ll be weird with just me and Tony now.”

“If it gets too quiet, I could come over."

“Might not let you leave.”

“Wouldn’t mind that, me.”

Sam left a few minutes before nine, after getting a long goodnight kiss from Rose. He had wanted to stay longer, but he knew Rose would be up a few times during the night with Tony and he had a few things he needed to do for the morning. While they hadn’t made definite plans, he hoped they could spend time together the following weekend. He wondered if she was going to tell her sister that they were dating, not that it mattered to him. He knew she would tell her family when she was ready. Letting himself into the bakery, he chuckled to himself. If Rose could see him fretting about, she’d tease him. He wouldn’t have it any other way.                                                                                                                                  


	7. Next to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tony is sick, Sam helps Rose to care for the boy, much to Rose's relief. When Rose leaves him in charge of Tony for a few minutes, Sam realizes there's no place he would rather be.

Three months and twenty-four dates later, both Sam and Rose were completely happy. They had some disagreements along the way, which were always cleared up a few hours later, but they were happy. Tony was used to seeing Sam every day and would get upset if he knew his mum got to see him and he didn’t. Rose had been introduced to Donna a month and a half ago and had been thrilled to make another friend that was in town. She still missed her sister, but they spoke often and they traveled at least once every two weeks to see each other.

It took four weeks into their relationship before Rose admitted to Dot and Louise that she was seeing Sam. It took Jack exactly one week to figure out something was going on between them, much to their surprise. They both thought he would have figured it out sooner. He had volunteered to watch Tony for them a few times so they could go out alone and while Rose had been nervous about leaving him with someone that’s never stayed with him, Tony had been okay with ‘Uncle’ Jack.

“Is Rose coming in today?” Jack questioned as he filled the cookie tray. He was spending more time in the bakery and while he knew Sam didn’t always need the help, he needed something to do.

“She called me this morning. Tony is sick. She’s home with him. Said I would come over after I closed up.”

“I can handle the shop for the rest of the day, Doc. I’m sure Rosie would appreciate it if you were there with her.” Seeing him hesitate, Jack rolled his eyes. “I can handle it.”

“Wish you’d let me pay you.” He mumbled as he placed the tray of cupcakes in the case.

“I don’t need the money. I like working here. Go, Rose needs you.”

“You don’t mind?”

“No. Now go. Make some soup or something for them. Don’t worry about opening tomorrow either, I can handle it.”

“Sundays are always the busiest.” Sam protested as he wiped his hands off. “I’ll be in.”

“I’ll call Donna, she’ll help. It’ll be fine.”

“Thanks, Jack. I appreciate it. Should have enough in the back for tomorrow.”

“I’ll call you if we’re running low.”

After Sam grabbed an overnight bag and the things he bought for soup, he walked the few blocks over to Rose’s flat. He knew the path well now, making it at least once a week. Making his way into the building, he walked the two flights of stairs up to her flat. “Probably should have called first.” He mumbled as he knocked on her door.

A disheveled Rose opened the door a few moments later, a look of relief appeared on her face once she realized who was knocking. “I’ve been turning everyone away from here. Louise and Dot popped over for a visit too. Made them leave. Should make you leave too. I don’t want you getting sick.”

“Don’t get sick, me. I brought soup. Well, the ingredients. Brought some clothes too, on the off chance you’d let me stay over.”

“I’m a bit frazzled right now.” She bit her lip as she glanced up at him.

“I can help. I want to help.” He added softly, reaching out for her hand.

Rose slipped her hand into his and tugged him into her flat before closing the door. “Thank you. I missed you.” She told him, giving him a tired grin.

“Missed you too.” Leaning down, he pressed his lips against hers gently. “Tony asleep?”

“He’s in his room. He woke up not long ago. I was going to set him up in the living room so he could watch cartoons.”

“You go take care of him and I’ll start on the soup.”

“Ta. You can put your bag in my room, if you’d like.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.” She squeezed his hand gently before heading down the hall to Tony’s room. Opening the door, she gave him a smile as she walked over to him. “Hi little one. How are you feeling?”

Tony shook his head and held his arms out to his mum. “Mummy.”

“I’m here, love.” Picking him up, she cuddled him against her chest while she grabbed his bear and blanket. “How about we go sit in the living room? Someone is here to see you.” Holding him close, she walked down the hall to the kitchen so Tony could see Sam.

“Sam.” Tony mumbled as he clutched his bear to his chest.

“Hi buddy. Your mum said you’re not feeling well.” He ran his fingers over Tony’s forehead and cheek. “Still warm. I’ll make you some soup and you’ll be as right as rain.”

“Thank you.” Rose pressed a kiss to his lips before carrying Tony into the living room. She set him up in the chair with his blanket and put on some cartoons for him. “I’ll get you something to drink. I’ll be right back.” Pressing a kiss to his forehead, she made her way over to the kitchen where Sam was busy starting the soup.

“Do you need anything else?”

“No. Dot brought over juice and stuff for him this morning.” Going over to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist as she rested her cheek against his back. “You’re an amazing man, you know that?”

“Just want the best for you and Tony.”

“You are.” Rose walked over to the fridge and pulled out one of Tony’s sippy cups. “Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge.”

“Once the soup is simmering, I’ll join you.”

She nodded her head softly before heading back into the living room. Giving Tony his cup, she sat on the couch once she was sure he was okay. “Do you want to have a cuddle with me?” She questioned, looking over at him.

“Sleepy, Mummy.” He mumbled as he drank some of his water.

“You get some rest then, love.”

When Sam walked into the living room twenty minutes later, he checked on Tony to see he was asleep before sitting down next to Rose. He could see everything was draining her and he wished there was more he could to help her. Wrapping an arm around her, Sam pressed a kiss into her hairline.

“What else can I help with?”

“Everything is better now.” She assured him. “I cleaned the flat this morning while he was still asleep. I’ll need to do laundry at some point. I might ask you to sit with him while I run down to the laundry room.”

“Do you want to shower first?” He questioned as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“Are you saying I smell?” She looked up at him, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“No, just thought it might make you feel better.”

“I’m fine. I just don’t like seeing him so sick. I feel like I can’t help him enough.”

“You’re doing everything you can, love.” He whispered softly, pressing a kiss to her temple. “You’re his favorite person in the universe and he knows you’ll keep him safe.”

“You’re a close second.” She mused, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I want to be here to help you.”

“I appreciate it, Sam, really.” Sitting up, she pressed her lips to his gently. “I won’t be long. Come get me if he wakes up.”

“We’ll be fine.” Sam leaned back against the couch as he watched her walk away. He checked on Tony a few times while she showered, worried about the boy’s fever. He knew Rose had been giving him something, but wasn’t sure when he would need it next.

“When I come back from starting the laundry, I’ll need to give him his medicine.” Rose told him softly as she entered the room, two rolling baskets behind her, fifteen minutes later.

“Do you want me to bring those down?”

“I’ll be fine, do this all the time.”

“Mummy?” Tony mumbled as he shifted around.

“I’m right here, sweetheart. Do you need something?” She walked over to him and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Potty.”

“Do you want Sam to help you?” She glanced over at Sam to make sure he was comfortable helping Tony.

“I can take you while your mum goes for the laundry.”

“Yes.” Tony sat up and held his arms out for Sam to pick him up.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” She smiled as Sam picked Tony up and headed towards the bathroom. Grabbing her baskets, she headed out of the apartment and towards the lifts.

Once Tony was finished, Sam carried him back into the living room and sat him up in the chair with his blanket. “Do you need anything else?” Bending down, he picked up his sippy cup and handed it to him.

“Love Sam.” Tony mumbled as he drank from his cup, his eyes wide as he watched his mum’s boyfriend.

Sam’s heart clenched as he blinked a few times. “I love you too, buddy. Do you want me to sit with you?”

“Yes.”

Picking the boy up again, Sam sat down in the recliner as he settled Tony in his lap. Pressing a kiss to the top of his head, Sam grabbed the remote. “Do you want to watch something else? We can see if the car movie you like is on.”

“Yes.”

When Rose walked back into the flat a few minutes later, she saw that both of her boys were intently watching something on the television. She grabbed Tony’s medicine from the counter before going back into the living room. Pressing a kiss to her son’s head, she crouched down in front of him, a smile on her face. “Hi my love. Can you be a big boy and take your medicine for me?”

“Yes.” He let his mum help him with the medicine before leaning back against Sam again as he took his cup from the man.

“Thanks for keeping an eye on him.” She told Sam softly as she stood up. “Do you want me to take him?”

“No, I’ve got him. We’re watching a movie.” He gestured to the television.

Pressing a kiss to his cheek, Rose left them to their movie while she finished the few things she needed to around the flat.

Sam let out a breath when she left the room. He cared a great deal for both of them, but to hear Tony tell him he loved him, he wasn’t sure how to react. Should he say something to Rose? What if it made her uncomfortable? He hadn’t lied to Tony when he returned the sentiment, he had meant it. He wondered though, if Tony realized what he said, the impact of his words. Sam reminded himself the boy was only two and was probably parroting words he had heard his mother say to him.

Later that night, Sam watched as Rose tucked Tony into bed, a smile on his face. Spending the afternoon with them had been a different experience for him. He could see the worry in Rose’s eyes every time she looked at Tony. His fever had eased up slightly and they both hoped that by morning he would feel better. They left the room after Rose was sure Tony was asleep and headed into the living room.

“I’m knackered.” Rose admitted as she slipped her arms around his waist. “Would you mind if I went to bed?”

“No. I’m knackered myself.”

“Come on then, we’ll go to bed.” Pulling back, she slipped her hand into his as she pulled him down the hall to her bedroom. “I’m glad you were here today. Wish Tony wasn’t so ill.”

“Could do something with him once he’s better.” Sam grabbed his bag and pulled out his pajamas. “I’ll be right out.” He gestured out to where the bathroom was before heading back into the hallway.

Rose laughed softly to herself before climbing into the bed. Normally if Tony were sick, she would be by herself taking care of him. She had always sent Louise away, not wanting her to catch whatever Tony had. But having Sam there to help her, it felt right. Seeing Sam walk back into her bedroom, Rose gave him a smile.

“I like your pajamas.” She pulled her legs up to her chest and leaned her chin on her knees. “The color suits you.”

“They’re black.” Walking over to her, he kissed the top of her head. “Not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not.”

“You should.” She watched as he walked around her bedroom as he put his bag off to the side. “Tony has been asking to go to the zoo. He’s never been. Would you like to go with us when I take him?”

“Yeah, course I’ll go.” He turned the overhead light off before climbing into the bed next to her. “I’ll close the bakery early.”

“I don’t want to take you away from work.” She protested quietly as she laid down. “Maybe we can go on a Sunday after you close.”

“Still would want to close up early, Rose. Don’t want to take away from Tony’s first time going to the zoo.” He looked over at her and brushed some hair from her cheek. “I want to spend time with both you and Tony.”

Rose searched his face for a few moments before pressing a kiss to his lips. “You’re not like most blokes.”

He snorted softly. “I suppose that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, it is. Most blokes would have run in the other direction if they knew I had a kid. But you stayed. You’re spending time with him, getting to know him. Instead of asking me about him, you’re asking him.”

“He’s a good kid.”

“And you’re a good man.” Scooting over, she rested her head against his shoulder. “Let’s get some sleep, yeah?”

“Sleep well, Rose.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Sam breathed in her scent before resting his head against the pillow. He hoped Rose was right and that he was a good man.


	8. Against All Odds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Rose needs to leave her flat for a week, Sam offers for her and Tony to stay with him. While he's alone, he starts to feel guilty about moving on from Romana. She would want him to be happy, right?

Six months into their relationship, Rose and Sam were still going strong. Sunday afternoons were dedicated to spending time with each other, Tony included. Occasionally Sam would ask Donna to look after Tony for a couple of hours on a Saturday while he took Rose out, or Rose would ask her sister to come down, if she could. Part of her longed to have more time with Sam, but she enjoyed seeing the look on Tony’s face, and Sam’s, whenever her two favorite men spent time together. She did worry that maybe they were spending too much time together and that Tony might get too attached. It was too soon in their relationship to have _that_ talk, but she may need throw caution to the wind and have it.

For now, she had other problems to deal with. Her super had informed her that they were fumigating and she would need to find temporary housing while it was going on. After the fumigation was over, they were going to be redoing the carpeting in Rose’s flat and several others in the building. She would have to be out for at least a week, if they could get everything done in that timeframe. Her first thought was to ask Louise if they could stay with her but then Rose remembered a friend of hers was coming up to visit and would be staying there. She was brought from her frustrations by her phone ringing.

“Hello?” She let out a breath as she answered, forgetting to check the caller ID.

“Am I interrupting something?” Sam’s rough voice sounded from the speaker.

“No. Sorry, I’m trying to figure out a place for me and Tony to go.”

“What’s wrong with the flat?”

“They’re fumigating next week. Then they’re replacing the carpeting. I thought they only did that when someone moved out?”

“Maybe they didn’t when the person before you moved out.”

“Yeah, maybe. I might have to cancel on you for tomorrow. I need to find a place.”

“You and Tony can stay with me. I have room.”

She paused briefly, trying to decide if she should take him up on his offer. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea. Where would he sleep?”

“I can get him a bed for here.”

“Where would I sleep?”

“Can share with me.”

“Tony still gets up in the middle of the night and looks for me.”

“Then he can have a cuddle with us both when he finds you.” Sam paused as he looked down at his notebook. “You don’t have to stay with me, if you’re not ready.”

“I am. I want to. I just worry about Tony.”

“I worry about him too.”

“I know you do.” Her voice low, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Never said you didn’t. He won’t want to go to daycare, he’ll want to stay with you all day.”

“Better company than Jack.” Sam teased, a grin on his face.

“I heard that!” Jack called from the front of the bakery, making both of them laugh.

“We’ll stay. Only if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“I don’t. I’ll get a bed for him and we’ll set him up in the room next to mine.”

“He would be fine on the couch. I appreciate it though.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I’ll pack up what we need and come over.”

“Do you need help?”

“Can you stop by tonight and take a few things back with you?”

“Course. Should be over around six.”

Before she ended the call, Rose took a breath and let it out slowly. “It’s funny what life throws at us sometimes. You really never know what to expect, yeah?”

“Yeah.” He responded, a bit confused as to where she was going with her words.

“I’m just glad neither of us has to go through anything else alone.” She whispered softly.

Before he could ask what she meant, Rose had ended the call. He stared at the phone with a confused expression until Jack walked over to him.

“What happened?”

“Rose and Tony are staying with me for a week while her flat is fumigated.”

“Seems like more than that happened.”

“Just something Rose said. Not sure how I should take it.” Sam let out a sigh as he told Jack what Rose had said to him.

“Sounds like love.” Jack clapped him on the back before heading back to the front.

“Love?” Sam muttered as the reality sunk in. Did he love Rose?

He enjoyed the time they spent together, even if he felt it was never enough time. He cared for both her and Tony and would protect them both at whatever costs. The more he thought about it, the more it sunk in. He did love her. But what about Romana? He still loved her. That would never change. But could he love them both? He wished he could talk to her. She had been his everything. Rose changed that for him. Now he wanted to be a better man for Rose. He still couldn’t shake this feeling in his chest when it came to Romana and wondered what it meant.

Rose glanced over at Sam as she put her few things away in the drawer he had cleaned out for her. He had been quiet since the night before and while she had asked him what was on his mind, he kept telling her it was nothing. She leaned over to where he was sitting on the bed and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“I’m going to go check on Tony. Make sure he’s staying out of trouble.”

“He okay with being here?” Sam questioned as he leaned back against the headboard.

“Yeah, he is. He loves the coloring table you got him. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Wanted him to have something here.”

“He’ll want to come over all the time now.” Rose gave him a bright grin as she headed towards the door.

“You too?”

“I want to be wherever you are.” She told him before slipping out of the room to go check on Tony.

“Mummy!” Tony gave her a grin as she walked into his temporary bedroom.

“Tony!” She laughed softly and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Having fun?”

“Yes.” He reached up and handed her a piece of paper with scribbles on it.

“Is this for me?” Seeing him nod, she took the paper from him and crouched down next to him. “Oh it’s gorgeous, sweetheart. We’ll hang it up as soon as we can go home. Do you want to make one for Sam?”

“Yes.”

Rose helped him get another piece of paper before standing up again. She looked around the room Sam had set Tony up in and let out a content sigh. He had found a bed for him along with the small coloring table he was currently using. They had only be with Sam for a few hours, but she already felt comfortable, welcomed. She hoped Tony felt the same.

Later that night, Sam watched Rose as she put Tony to bed. As Rose closed the book she was reading to Tony, Sam walked into the room and over to the bed to say goodnight to Tony.

“Say goodnight to Sam, love.” Rose whispered as she stood up.

“Night-night.” Tony turned on his side and reached for his bear.

“Night buddy.”

“Love Sam.”

“Love you too, Tony.” Sam bent down and covered him with the blanket as Rose let out a quiet gasp. Taking her hand, he walked out of the room with her, closing the door slightly as they left.

“I’m sorry. I’ll tell him not to say that.” Rose whispered as they made their way into the living room.

“Say what?”

“That he loves you.”

“Why would you tell him not to say that?” Sam questioned as he sat on the couch. “I do love him, Rose.” He looked up at her, holding his hand out. “Might not be in the same way as I love his mum, but I do love him.”

She slipped her hand into his as she sat next to him on the couch. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He confirmed, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.

“I love you too.” Her admission was quiet as she looked at their joined hands.

“I feel guilty.” He told her as he pulled her close.

“I understand. I would never ask you to stop loving Romana, Sam. She was your life for so long, she still is. It’s fine that you love us both. You love us in different ways.” She laced their fingers together. “If you ever feel like talking about her, you can. I’d like to hear about her.”

“I still miss her. Every day. If only I had been home, I could have gotten her out.”

Rose pressed her lips to his temple before wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a hug. “You can’t drive yourself barmy with all of the what-if’s, Sam.”

“I know. Just wish all of this were easier.”

“It will get easier in time.” She promised him. “If it gets too much, or if Tony and I get to be too much, let me know.”

“You and Tony make it easier.”

Rose laughed softly. “Let me know how you feel in six months.”

Leaning back against the couch, he wrapped his arm around her waist. Tucking her against his side, Sam nuzzled his nose against her neck. “I never thought I could be happy again.”

She hummed softly, letting him hold her close. “You deserve to be happy again, Sam. We both do. I think we can handle anything, as long as we’re together. Better with two, I always say.”

“I’ve never heard you say that.” He laughed softly, running his fingers through her hair.

“You’ll hear it now then.”

“It is better with two.” He whispered before pulling her in for a kiss.

As Rose rushed around the next morning getting ready for work, Sam sat at the table with Tony while he ate his breakfast.

“Mummy?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” Rose grabbed her bag and walked back over to the table, giving him a smile. “Are you almost done?”

“I stay Sam?”

“No, love, you can’t. You’ve got to go to daycare. Sam has to go to work.”

“Please Mummy?” He pouted slightly, his eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, you can’t. You’ll see him after daycare though, yeah?” She looked over at Sam, giving him a silent plea for help.

“Your mum is right, you’ll see me after daycare.” He stood up and wrapped an arm around Rose as he kissed the side of her head. “Can I pick him up for you?”

“If you want to. I’ll have them add you as an approved guardian. Just let me know if you do.”

“I will.”

Rose picked Tony up from his seat and gave Sam a kiss goodbye as they walked out of the flat. Sam leaned back against the wall and watched her as she left. This was going to be an interesting week.


	9. First Piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Tony spend the afternoon together while Rose works.

As Sam cleaned up behind the counter, Tony was sitting on one of the stools, drawing a picture. They had spent most of the afternoon together and while Sam had been nervous at first, Tony seemed to be enjoying himself. Walking over to the boy, Sam handed him a sippy cup with milk.

“Are you making something for your mum?”

“Mummy.” Tony corrected as he picked up his cup, nodding his head. “Thanks.”

“I’m sure she’s going to love it. She should be back soon.”

“Miss Mummy.”

“I know, buddy, I miss your mum too.”

“Mummy.” He corrected as he went back to drawing.

It was an adjustment for him, having Rose and Tony around all the time, but the more he got used to it, the more he welcomed it. He wasn’t sure how he was going to feel once Rose and Tony were back in their own flat and they were back to seeing each other on weekends and sporadically during the week.

“Do you like staying over at my flat, Tony?”

“Yes. See Sam.” Tony nodded his head quickly his eyes wide.

He chuckled softly and reached over for one of Tony’s crayons and a blank piece of paper. “Once you’re back at your flat, do you still want to come over?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll ask your mum if you two can stay over once in a while, would you like that?”

“Mummy.” He corrected before going back to his coloring.

When Rose came in half an hour later, Sam was across from Tony as they share a piece of paper. Sam was trying to copy when Tony was drawing, and failing miserably.

“There are my two favorite men.” She commented, walking up to them. Placing a kiss on Tony’s cheek, she sat next to him and looked at their drawing. “Miss me?”

“Missed Mummy lots.” Tony told her quickly.

“I missed you too, love.” Turning her head, she gave Sam a grin. “I missed you as well.”

“Missed you too.” He murmured before leaning over for a kiss. “Me and Tony were making you something.”

“I see that. Once it’s done we’ll have to hang it up, yeah?” She turned to look at Tony. “Maybe Sam will let us hang it up in his place until we’re home.”

“Stay Sam, Mummy. No home.”

“Oh sweetheart.” She ran her fingers gently through his hair. “We can’t stay here, this is Sam’s place. We have to go home. But we’ll come and visit Sam all the time, yeah?”

Tony pouted before going back to his drawing. Once he was done, he handed Sam the crayon before sliding off of his seat to stand next to his mum.

“Do you want to stay down here until I close or do you want to go upstairs with your mum?” Sam questioned as he cleaned up the crayons and paper.

“Mummy.” Tony corrected as he walked over to Sam.

“Are you coming with me or are you staying with Sam, love?” Rose questioned, a bit confused.

“Stay Sam.”

“I’ve got him. We’ll be up soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. We won’t be long.”

“All right.” Going over to Tony she bent down and hugged him tightly, pressing kisses all over his face. “Be good.”

“Yes, Mummy.” He giggled softly before pulling away from his mum’s hug.

After Rose grabbed Tony’s things, she made her way upstairs into Sam’s flat. He had made them both so welcome, for which Rose was grateful. But having Tony want to stay here, stay with Sam broke her heart. It would be an adjustment for the two of them, three of them, when Rose and Tony went back home. Making her way into Tony’s temporary room, Rose let out a sigh. She really hoped things between her and Sam worked out. He was someone she saw a future with and hoped he saw the same.

Hearing the door to the flat open, Rose put Tony’s things away before heading into the kitchen to find them something to eat for tea. It took Tony a few minutes before he ran into the kitchen, Sam not far behind her.

“Mummy!”

“Hi, sweetheart.” Bending down, she picked Tony up and balanced him on her hip. “I can’t wait to hear about your afternoon with Sam.”

“Picked him up before lunch and after lunch he took a nap before he came down and colored. Seems to be a usual day for Mister Tony.” Sam told her as he walked into the kitchen and over to her. “Only person missing was you.”

Rose leaned up and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. “If only I could skip out on work as easily as he can skip out on daycare.”

“Told him we’d spend time together over the weekend before you go home.”

“Speaking of. My landlord called. The carpet installs are going to take a bit longer. Would you mind if we stayed a few more days?”

“Stay for as long as you want.”

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“No. I want you to feel comfortable here.”

“I do.” She assured him. “I love being here. So does Tony. Just don’t want to overstay our welcome.”

“You’re not.” He took Tony from her and tickled his stomach. “How about we play while your mum gets tea sorted?”

“Mummy.” He corrected, wrapping his arms around Sam’s neck.

Rose shook her head at the pair of them before waiving them off. “Go. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

“Bye-bye, Mummy.” Tony waved over Sam’s shoulder as he carried him out of the room.

When Rose walked back into his bedroom later that night, having put Tony to sleep, Sam sat up more in the bed and leaned against the headboard, watching as she moved around the room to get changed. He could tell something had been bothering her all evening and he wasn’t sure what it was. She had told him work had been good and she had listened with rapt attention to Tony when he babbled on about their afternoon together. She didn’t seem to be upset about her flat he had meant it, she was more than welcome at his for as long as she wanted.

“Tony was so happy to spend time with you this afternoon.” She commented as she climbed into bed next to him. “Thank you for picking him up.”

“Wanted to. Would you mind if I picked him up occasionally once you’re home?” He cupped her hand in his hand and ran his thumb over her cheek.

“No. I trust you to watch over him.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Was he doing the correcting thing all afternoon?”

“What correcting thing?”

“Every time you referred to me as his mum and not Mummy, he corrected you.”

“Oh, I wasn’t sure what he was doing. Yeah, he was doing it all afternoon. Didn’t bother me.”

“I told him not to do that anymore. He’s used to everyone calling me Mummy around him.”

“Didn’t think it was my place.”

“I wouldn’t mind, if you did. Whatever you’re comfortable with, really.” She moved so she was cuddled against his side, her head resting against his shoulder. “He asked me the other day why he didn’t have a daddy when all the other kids at daycare do. I told him he has a Sam, which was much better.” She bit her lip softly, moving her hand to rest against his chest. “Hope that’s okay.”

Sam pressed a kiss to her forehead before capturing her lips in a kiss. “More than. I’ll be whatever you and Tony want me to be. I’m not going anywhere. You and Tony are stuck with me.”

“That’s not so bad.” She grinned playfully at him before pulling him down for another kiss. “Let’s go out on Saturday, just us.”

“I’ll ask Jack to stay with Tony. We can give Tony his tea before we go.”

“If he’s not free, I’ll find a sitter.”

“I’ll ask him in the morning. Anything else bothering you?”

“No, I’m all right.” She let out a small sigh. “I’m going to miss doing this.”

“Miss what?”

“Having a cuddle with you at night.” Reaching over, she pulled the blanket up to cover them.

“You and Tony can stay over Saturday nights.”

“Sounds brilliant.”

“Mummy.” Tony’s voice sounded over the monitor on Sam’s nightstand.

“Let me go check on him.” Rose pressed a kiss to Sam’s cheek before getting up.

“I’ll go.” Sam slipped out of the bed and turned his lamp on.

“He might want a cuddle.”

“Then I’ll bring him in here and he can have a cuddle.” He promised before leaving the room and down the hall into Tony’s. Walking over to the bed he saw Tony was sitting up in bed, clutching his bear. “Have a bad dream?”

“Yes. Where Mummy?”

“Do you want to go have a cuddle with Mummy?”

“Yes.” He reached his arms out for Sam to pick him up. “Sam too?”

“Yeah, you can have a cuddle with us both.” He bent down and picked Tony up in his arms. Holding him close to his chest, he left the room and headed back into his own where Rose was waiting for them. He set Tony down next to Rose before climbing into the bed next to them after turning his lamp off.

“Thank you.” Rose gave him a soft smile as she cuddled Tony against her. “Did you have a bad dream, sweetheart?” Pressing a kiss to his forehead, she looked down at Tony.

“Yes.”

“Dreams are just your imagination, Tony. They can’t hurt you.” Sam reminded him as he rubbed his back. “But if you get scared me and Mummy will help you.”

She grinned softly as she rocked Tony, watching as he closed his eyes. “We’ll always be here to protect you.”

“I’ll protect you both.” Sam promised as he kissed her lightly before lying down on the bed. He felt Rose settle Tony next to her before turning on her side. He turned on his side and wrapped an arm around her waist as they settled in for the night. He wouldn’t let what happened to Romana happen to Rose or Tony. He couldn’t lose anyone else.

His dreams often plagued him but while Rose was with him, they hadn’t seemed as bad. He still dreamt of the same things, either his last mission or the fire, but he didn’t wake screaming. They were the one thing he never told her about, he didn’t want to ruin her as he was ruined. The ones that bothered him most were the ones where Romana told him to be happy, told him she was happy for him. He wondered if the woman in his dreams was really her or his subconscious acting against him. He needed to keep reminding himself that Romana would want him to be happy as he would have wanted her to be happy. The same way he would want Rose to be happy should anything happen between them or to him.

As he pulled her closer, Sam pressed a kiss to her shoulder before closing his eyes. What is meant to be, will be.


	10. Time Heals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam starts having nightmares again and doesn't handle it well. Rose's concern gets to be too much and he doesn't know how to handle talking to her about them.

“I’m going to take Tony to the park for a bit, we’ll be back later.” Rose told Sam as she picked Tony up and carried him over to the counter. “Unless you need help here?”

“Jack’s coming in soon. He’ll help out if I need it.” Sam muttered as he glanced up at her.

“You don’t have to be rude. I’m only trying to help.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Fine.” She narrowed her eyes at him before picking up her bag and turning around towards the door.

“Bye-bye Sam.” Tony waved before wrapping his arms around his mum’s neck as they left the bakery.

As she walked down the sidewalk, she muttered to herself while being mindful that Tony was in her arms. Sam had been pulling away from her the last few days and it worried her. She really she have known that staying with Sam was getting to him. He was a private person and she knew he liked being alone. But she thought that had changed when they got together. Jack had warned her that he has these moments where he doesn’t want to speak to anyone or see anyone. She didn’t believe him. But now, now she was starting to believe him. How were they supposed to work if he was like this? Maybe he wasn’t ready for this. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this either.

It took Jack only a few minutes to realize something is bothering Sam when he arrived at the bakery not long after one. Rose wasn’t around which meant either it had something to do with her or he was having a bad day. Jack knew better than to ask questions when he was having a bad day and instead just stood behind the counter and helped customers while Sam hid in the back, baking. He really thought Sam was getting better. He hadn’t had a bad day since he and Rose got together and even before that, the last bad day he had had was when he found out Rose was dating. He only hoped whatever was going on would be sorted soon.

Rose walked back into the bakery around three, a sleeping Tony resting against her shoulder. Louise was sitting at the counter chatting with Jack, which surprised her. Not the chatting with Jack part, but her being here. Sam had arranged for Jack to mind Tony while they were out and Tony had been looking forward to time with his Uncle Jack.

“Hey Louise.” Rose whispered as she rocked Tony. “Let me go put him up and I’ll come back down.”

“Jack is keeping me company, I’ll be fine.” She winked at her sister before turning her attention back to Jack.

Rose shook her head softly as she made her way into the back to head upstairs. She could have used the side entrance and gone up those stairs but she also wanted to make sure Sam was still there. As she reached for the doorknob, she heard a bang and several curses which caused Tony to wake up.

“Mummy?” He mumbled, still half asleep.

“Sleep, sweetheart.” She whispered, rocking him slightly. She stayed in her spot when she heard footsteps approaching, knowing it was either Sam or Jack.

“Tony okay?” Sam questioned, his voice low.

“Yeah. He fell asleep.”

“Want me to carry him up?”

“I’ve got him.”

“Right.” He hesitated briefly before heading back over to his station to finish the cake he was working on.

Rose pressed a kiss to her son’s head before walking upstairs into Sam’s flat. Walking into Tony’s room, she tucked him into bed and grabbed the monitor before going downstairs. She’s not sure when she started to refer to it as Tony’s room, but that’s what Sam called it. Would he still have a room there once they went back home? Could she and Sam survive the next few days before she had to go back to her own flat with Tony? Making her way into the bakery, she sat on the stool next to her sister’s.

“Did you and Sam get into a fight?” Jack questioned as she slid a mug of tea over to her.

“No. He’s been like this since Thursday. I thought me and him had a good conversation on Wednesday but something must have happened.”

“I don’t think it’s you, Rose. Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No.” She shook her head. “If he wants to talk, he’ll find us.”

Jack shared a brief look with Louise before moving on to help a customer. If he couldn’t get through to her, maybe Louise could.

“Are you sure you don’t want Jack to talk to him?”

“Its fine, Louise. Really.” She gave her sister a small smile. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Jack said he was minding Tony for you two tonight and I thought I would help him.”

“Why is he calling you?” Rose narrowed her eyes slightly.

“We’ve been talking. He’s not seeing Donna anymore and he wanted to give us another go. Don’t be upset.” Louise grinned as she looped her arm through her sister’s.

“I’m not upset. Just be careful. I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”

“I’ll be fine, Rose.”

“Anyway, Sam and I aren’t going out tonight. I’m not going anywhere with him while he’s acting like this.”

“Jack said this is how he is.” Louise reminded her softly. “Try talking to him.”

“I will later. I should go back up and check up on Tony. Are you heading back tonight?”

“Jack offered me to stay with him.” Louise grinned before glancing over at Jack as he walked over to them.

“Be good to my sister, Jack.” Rose warned before she slipped off her stool and headed into the back to go upstairs.

“I think we may need to talk to Sam.” Louise told Jack quietly once she was sure Rose wasn’t in earshot. “She doesn’t want to upset him and never presses him to talk about anything.”

“She may be the only one he’ll talk to right now.” Jack pointed out. “I could tell him that she’s upstairs, hint that they should talk.”

“If he hurts my sister, I’ll hurt him.” Louise mumbled as she picked up her mug. “She’s been hurt enough. I thought this would be her chance at happiness.”

“He makes her happy Louise.” He told her softly.

“I’d never hurt her.” Sam told them, startling them both. “Rose has told me what happened. Everything.” He looked at Louise, a worn expression on his face. “I won’t let her go through that again. I’d do anything for her and Tony.”

“Then why is she upstairs trying to figure out what she did wrong?” Louise questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Rose hasn’t done anything wrong. Can I go up and talk to her or do you have more to say?” Sam countered.

“Just make sure you explain to her that you’re an arse and she’s not to be blamed.”

“She already knows I’m an arse.” Sam walked into the back and headed upstairs, letting out a sigh. He knew taking out his frustrations on Rose was low, but he couldn’t find a way to explain to her what he was feeling. He opened the door to the flat slowly before peaking his head in. He could see Rose was sitting on the couch with Tony as the boy cuddled with her. Stepping in, he closed the door behind him quietly before heading over to them.

“Can I join you?”

Rose looked up at him and hesitated briefly before nodding her head. “Yeah.”

Sam stepped over to the couch and sat next to Rose. “Louise told me I should explain that I’m an arse. Told her you already knew that.” Seeing her smile slightly, Sam leaned back against the couch.

“Are we getting to be too much? Me and Tony.”

“No. This has nothing to do with you or Tony. “

“Then what happened?”

“Get nightmares, me. Had one Wednesday night.”

“That’s no reason to be rude to me, Sam. Everyone has nightmares.”

“I usually have them about the fire, sometimes about one of the missions I was on in the Army.” He looked over at her, trying to gather his words. “This one was about the fire, but it wasn’t Romana’s face I saw.”

“It was mine.” She stated, her eyes widening.

“Yeah.”

Rose bit her lip as she glanced down at Tony. Sam was afraid to lose them both, he had confided that to her a few months ago. “Is that why you’re pushing me away?”

“I panicked.”

“You should have talked to me.” She pointed out, holding Tony a bit closer to her. “Is that the reason why you don’t want to talk about me and Tony going back home?”

“I won’t be able to protect you.”

“Sam, I’ve been protecting myself for as long as I can remember. We’ll be fine.”

“Not the same.” He muttered.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

“No.”

“Fine.” Rose picked Tony up and sat him in her lap. “Do you want to have a cuddle with Sam, sweetheart?”

“Yes.”

Sam picked Tony up in his arms and settled him in his lap before kissing Rose’s cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“Just talk to me when you’re ready, yeah?”

“Yeah. Are we still going out tonight?”

“No.” She shook her head softly. “I’m still cross.”

“I’ll let Jack know then.”

“Ta.”

Rose took Tony from him a few minutes later as she headed into the kitchen to get him something for tea. Sam let out a sigh and left the flat, heading back down to the bakery. She was right. He should have talked to her, but his pride got in the way. He didn’t want to appear weak to her.

“How is Rose?” Jack questioned when Sam walked out. “Is she coming down?”

“No. She’s still cross with me.”

“Did you talk to her?” Louise questioned, trying not to roll her eyes.

“I’m not burdening her with my issues.” Sam argued as he walked towards the door to flip the sign to read ‘closed’. “I told her when I wanted to talk, I would.”

Jack and Louise shared a look before he cleared his throat. “All right. Do you want help cleaning up?”

“No. Everything is under control. You two go enjoy your evening.”

“Doc, if you can’t talk to Rose at least talk to someone.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Louise slipped her hand into Jack’s when he came around the counter as she slipped off of the stool. “Tell Rose I’ll stop by tomorrow before I head back.”

“I will.”

“And Sam? Remember she loves you. So does Tony.”

“I know, Louise. Thank you.”

She gave him a grin before Jack pulled her out of the bakery.

Sam watched them go as he walked around the bakery, cleaning up. Making his way back over to the door he locked it before continuing to clean up. Louise was right, Rose did love him and would talk to him about anything that was on her mind. Why couldn’t he do the same with her? He never talked to Romana about his time in the Army, he usually talked to Jack if he wanted to bring it up. Rose, she wanted to know as much as she could about him. He felt the same about her. It was time he told her everything.

After the bakery was closed, he turned the lights off and headed upstairs into the flat. He found Rose sitting at the table with Tony while he ate. Going over to them, he bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips. “After Tony goes to bed, can we talk?”

“Yeah. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I need to. Want to. Louise talked some sense into me.”

“Your problems and worries are mine too, Sam. If we talk to each other, it’ll make the problem seem less of a problem.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

Rose grinned as she nudged his leg with her foot. “When you find out, let me know.”

“Oi.”

Later that night as Rose put Tony to bed, Sam waited for her on the couch. The tension had eased up between them after Sam had ask to talk to her, something they were both grateful for. He wasn’t sure where he could begin and hoped whatever he was able to say, Rose would listen. He looked up at her as she sat down next to him. He could see she was still upset and that was the last thing he wanted.

“I never talk about my army days.”

“How long were you in?”

“I went a few months after Uni. I met Romana right before I left. I did one tour, came home, and proposed to Romana. I was on a brief leave during my second tour and we got married. I was gone for a year before I was able to come home for a while. Six months later I signed up for another tour and I was gone for almost a year. I came home and a few months later we were pregnant. Then everything happened.”

Rose pressed a kiss to his temple before resting her chin against his head. He had told her this a few times, but he always told her when he really wanted to avoid talking about what happened in the army. “What happened during your tours?”

“They were fine until the last one. An entire platoon was hit and I couldn’t save them. Any of them. I tried, Rose.”

“Is that what your nightmares are about?”

“Yeah. I see their faces, hear their screams. I was deciding if I should go back or not, but losing Romana, well that made my decision.”

“You can’t change the past, Sam. As much as you want to. I know you want to go back and save everyone, but at what cost? You could have saved everyone and lost your own life. You could have saved Romana but she could have lost you.”

“I miss them.”

“And it’s okay to miss them. Do you have any pictures of her?”

“Donna has a few. Everything else was lost.”

“Ask her for them. Put them in some frames and hang them up or put them in a drawer and take them out when you want to.”

“Yeah.” He looked over at her and held his hand out to her. “Jack suggested I talk to someone.”

Rose slipped her hand into his and laced their fingers together. “If you want to, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea.”

“I want us to work.”

“We will. Maybe this was all too much at once for you. Maybe it’s like you said. You feel guilty.”

“Maybe.”

“Talk to someone. It will help.”

“I will. Will we be okay?”

“Yeah, we will.” She assured him as she curled against his side, offering him whatever comfort she could.

Sam pressed a kiss to the top of her head before wrapping an arm around her. He needed the help. If not for himself, then for Rose and Tony.


	11. Safe in My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam asks Rose and Tony to move in. Before Rose can give her answer, she needs to figure out if she's ready.

“You have everything?” Sam questioned as Rose placed Tony into his car seat.

“Yeah, think so.” Rose handed Tony his bear before closing the door and making her way around to where Sam was leaning against her car. She could tell he was upset that they were leaving, but she was adamant about going back to her flat. “I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

“You and Tony could come over tomorrow.”

She shook her head softly before placing a kiss against his cheek. “We’ve just spent the past two weeks together. We both need a few days to unwind. “I will call you though, yeah?”

“Yeah. Do you need help going home?”

“We’ll be fine. I’ll see you in a few days.” She opened the driver’s door to climb in and closed it softly before rolling the window down. “Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Getting these past two weeks with you meant a lot to me. Thanks for letting us stay.”

“Course.” He leaned in through the window and kissed her softly which caused Tony to giggle. Breaking the kiss, he looked into the back at Tony. “Keep an eye on Mummy for me, yeah?”

“Bye-bye Sam!”

“Bye, buddy.” He turned his head and pressed another kiss to Rose’s lips. “Bye, love.”

“Bye. I’ll call you tonight.” She waited until he was back on the sidewalk before pulling out of her parking spot, driving towards her flat.

“I miss Sam, Mummy.” Tony told her as he leaned forward in his seat, looking out of the window as his mum drove.

“I know, love. We’ll call him later and you’ll see him again in a few days.”

“Soon?”

“Yeah, soon.”

They resumed their normal routine of seeing each other on Wednesdays, which meant they spent the evening together at Rose’s, while Rose and Tony slept over at Sam’s on Saturday night and spent Sunday with him. Three days out of the week wasn’t enough for Sam. He wanted to see them both more, but Rose had been adamant. She wanted him to be sure that having them move in with him was what he truly wanted. Spending two weeks living together found him craving it more. He enjoyed waking up with Rose and helping her get Tony ready for the day. He was ready. He only needed to know if Rose was ready too.

It would be another four weeks before Sam brought up Rose and Tony moving in with him. This time it was because the heater in her flat had gone out and it took her landlord two days to call back to say he would fix it as soon as he could. He was only thinking about their welfare, he reminded himself. They had stayed with him for the two nights it had been out and Tony had been thrilled with the extra time he got with Sam.

“I need to think about it, Sam.” She told him softly, brushing the fringe away from her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t, I do. I just need to think about it.”

He nodded his head as he bent down to pick Tony up. “Take all the time you need.”

“Not too long though, yeah?” She gave him a teasing smile, her tongue poking out from behind her teeth. “Tony, do you want to live here with Sam?”

“You too, Mummy?” He questioned, looking between his mum and Sam.

“Yeah, me too. What do you think?”

“Stay here.” He nodded his head quickly before snuggling against Sam.

“That’s two votes for staying.”

“I’ll let you know in a week, yeah?” She looked up at him through her eyelashes, trying to hide her smile behind her scarf.

“Fantastic!”

“Fantastic!” Tony parroted, a grin on his face.

Rose shook her head at the pair before leaning up to press a kiss against Sam’s cheek. “I need to go home, see if they’re done with the heater.”

“Mummy, I stay here?” Tony questioned, his eyes wide.

“Sam has to go back to work, sweetheart.”

“Jack is watching the shop until we close.” Sam told her as he set Tony down on the ground. “I don’t mind watching him.”

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.” She explained, letting out a small sigh.

“Tony and I can start on tea while you’re out.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. “We’ll be fine.”

“All right.” She turned to Tony, a smile on her face. “Be good for Sam, yeah?”

“Yes, Mummy.”

Rose turned her head and captured Sam’s lips in a gentle kiss. “Thank you. I’ll be back soon. Love you.”

“Love you too.” His eyes softened as he watched her leave the flat. He hoped she would agree to move in with him. Seven days. How was he supposed to wait seven days for an answer?

She decided to call Louise as she walked home, hoping for some advice about moving in with Sam. They had been together for less than a year, but she knew Sam was the one. Tony adored him and she knew the feeling was mutual with Sam. Part of her felt as though she was getting in over her head with Sam. What if he grew tired of Tony being around all the time or her having to take care of him instead of spending time with Sam?

“Hello?”

Louise’s voice broke Rose from her thoughts. “Hi, Lou.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. Can’t I just call to see how you’re doing?”

“You usually call at night, after Tony’s gone to bed. Did you and Sam get into a fight?”

“No, we didn’t. He asked me to move in with him.”

“And? You said yes, right?”

“I told him I would think about it.”

“Rose! He’s a good man. He adores you and Tony.” Louise sighed, trying not to roll her eyes. “Why do you need to think about it?”

“It’s not just me, Lou. I have Tony to worry about too. What if Sam thinks it’s all too much? What if he finally decides he deserves better?”

“There’s no one better for him then you, Rose. Is there something else that’s stopping you?”

She let out a breath. “I’m scared.”

“You should talk to him, Rose.” Louise told her, her voice soft. “He’s not John, Rose. He won’t leave you or Tony. He loves you.”

“Yeah, I know. I love him too.”

“Whatever you decide, I know it’ll be the right decision.”

“Thanks, Lou.”

“No problem. Tell that nephew of mine that I miss him.”

“He misses you too. I’ll call you in a few days.”

“Bye, Rosie.”

“Bye, Louise.” Rose ended the call and slipped her phone into her pocket as she walked into her building. Louise was right. Sam did love her and Tony and he wouldn’t walk away from them.

It was the sight that greeted Rose when she walked into Sam’s flat a couple of hours later that prompted her to agree to move in with him. Tony was watching Sam as he cooked, listening intently to what he was explaining. She walked over to them and slipped her arms around Sam’s waist and pressed a kiss against his back.

“Will you cook like this every night when we move in?” She questioned softly before giving Tony a grin.

“Course.” He said absently before realizing the implication of her words. Wiping his hands on a towel he turned around and wrapped his arms around her, his eyes sparkling. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” She nodded her head quickly. “I know you love me and Tony. I want us to be a family.”

“Oh my precious girl.” He whispered before capturing her lips in a kiss.

“Mummy, we stay Sam’s?”

Breaking the kiss, Rose turned her head towards Tony. “Yeah, love. We’re going to stay here. Do you want to?”

“Yes.” He nodded quickly. “Love Sam.”

“I love you too, Tony. Both of you.” He picked Tony up and pulled Rose close to him. This was his family now and while he missed Romana and always would, he found a place in his heart for Tony and Rose.


	12. Our Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose decides to call her mum and try to repair their relationship. When she tells Louise about the phone call, her reaction is not quite what Rose expected. Meanwhile, Tony asks if he can call Sam dad, much to Rose and Sam's surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Pardon the out of character reactions in this chapter. It did not turn out quite the way I had wanted it to.

Life leads you on some unexpected roads. It is up to you to decide if you want to go right, left, or down the middle or sometimes, you find yourself on the path the universe feels is best for you. There can be times where you decide the road you are traveling is too tough and you want to give up but someone, or something, comes along and makes you decide you can do this. For some, it may be that they meet the right person after years of being alone or constantly being with the wrong people. While for others, it’s a new job, or a move that brings you to a better place in life. No matter which path you take, the road will be difficult, but in the end, it will be worth it.

The life Rose had life so far hadn’t been what she expected. She never thought she would lose touch with her mum, or that she would be raising her sister while going to school and working. She never thought she would end up pregnant and raising her son with her sister and cousin as her support system. Over the past four years so many things had changed for her. From moving out of London and down to Gallifrey to finding someone with whom she felt at home. The one thing missing from her life was her mum but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to forgive her. It had been ten years, at least, since she had seen her. Tony was getting older though. Maybe it was time to talk to her.

As she dialed the last phone number she remembered, Rose curled up in the armchair and looked out the window. Tony was downstairs with Sam ‘helping’ in the bakery. She was going to join them in a few minutes.

“Hello?”

Rose had been surprised that someone had answered, even more surprised that it was her mum. “Mum? It’s me, Rose.”

“Rose? Sweetheart? Is that really you?”

“Yeah, Mum, it’s me.” She choked back a watery laugh as she closed her eyes. “Oh Mum, I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too sweetheart.” Jackie let out a strangled sob, trying to wrap her head around everything. “I’m so sorry, Rose. I never should have let you and Louise leave.”

“We had to Mum. It wasn’t safe.”

“Jimbo is gone, Rose. I split with him two years after you and Louise left. I’m with someone new.”

Rose wiped at her eyes and focused on the street once more. “Did you know what happened?”

“Not when it was happening, sweetheart. I found out later.” Jackie swore. “Had I known I would have left him sooner.”

Rose was silent on the phone for the next few minutes, trying to absorb what her mum was telling her. “There’s so much I need to tell you.” Rose admitted quietly. “I have a son. He’s called Tony. He just turned three. Louise helped me raise him.”

“Are you happy?”

Rose looked around the flat she shared with Sam and Tony and smiled to herself. “Yeah, Mum. I am. I’ve been seeing someone for just over a year, Sam.”

“How is Louise?”

“Brilliant. She’s teaching now. She lives about an hour away from here. She comes down every weekend though. She’s with Sam’s mate Jack. They’ve been steady for about six months now.”

“When can I visit?” Jackie blurted out, not bothering to mask her anxiety.

“Let me talk to Sam and to Louise. I want to make sure she’s ready to see you.” Rose defended, trying to protect her sister at whatever cost necessary. “I need to be sure I’m ready to see you.”

“Will you call me again?”

“Yeah. You can call me too, Mum. Sam’s been telling me to call you for a while now. Today just felt right.”

“I’m glad you called, sweetheart.”

“Me too, Mum.”

Rose stayed on the phone with her mum for a few more minutes as she told her about the man she was married to now. He was called Pete, which Rose found to be odd, but only cared if he was good to her mum and loved her. She promised to call back in a few days before ending the call. The one thing she still couldn’t wrap her head around was how her mum didn’t know how Jimbo was behaving towards them. Granted it had only happened twice before Rose had what she needed to leave with Louise, but her mum still should have known. Her aunt had told her that sometimes people didn’t know and as Rose thought about it, the two incidents had happened while her mum was out.

Slipping her phone into her pocket, Rose got up from the chair and headed into the bathroom to wash her face. Taking a few deep breaths, she made her way out of the flat and down to the bakery. She smiled, seeing that Sam was behind the counter with Tony, letting him help to get customers their orders.

“Hope he wasn’t too much of a hassle?” Rose questioned as she moved closer.

“He was fine. He’s been helping me.” Sam leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah. I called my mum.”

“What happened?” He questioned softly as he picked Tony up and sat him down on one of the stools behind the counter.

“We talked. She wants to visit. I told her I need to talk to you and Louise about it.”

“She know about Tony?”

“Yeah, I told her. She’s not with Jimbo anymore.” Rose told him quietly as she pressed a kiss to Tony’s head. “She’s married to someone else now.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” Rose looked down at Tony, a smile on her face. “Did you have a fun time helping Sam?”

“Yeah! Saw Aunt Lou too, Mummy.”

“You did? Was she here with Uncle Jack?”

“Yeah.” He looked up to Sam. “What did she say?”

“She said she’d be back later tonight with tea for everyone.”

“I should talk to her about Mum then while she’s here.”

“Jack and I can keep Tony busy, if want.”

Rose shook her head softly. “It’s fine. I’d rather you two were there with us. It can hold until after Tony’s bedtime.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for pushing me to call her. I think she was relieved to hear from me.”

“You don’t get many second chances with making amends with people, Rose. Don’t let another ten years go by without her.”

“I won’t.”

“Mummy?” Tony tugged on her shirt, his eyes wide. “Cookie, please?”

Rose laughed softly, her eyes twinkling. “Yeah, I’ll get you one. But you can’t have it until after tea.”

“Thanks, Mummy!”

She glanced up at Sam, smiling softly. “Do you think there will be any left over?”

“Yeah.”

Tony turned back around in his seat and resumed his coloring, humming happily.

Rose wrapped an arm around Sam’s waist as she let out a quiet breath. This was her family now and she wasn’t sure how her mum was going to fit in. She only hoped she had the strength to handle everything.

Later that evening found Louise, Jack, and Sam sitting at the dining room table while Rose put Tony to bed. She had been worried all evening about telling her sister about their mum. Louise had sensed something was wrong, but every time she asked, Rose had assured her it was nothing.

“Is she pregnant?” Louise questioned bluntly, giving Sam the stare down.

“No.” He shook his head quickly. “She called your mum earlier.”

“What?” Louise’s eyes widened as she slipped her hand into Jack’s. “Why?”

“That’s for her to tell.”

Rose walked in, a small smile on her face. “Who’s telling what?”

“Why’d you call Mum?” Louise questioned, not bothering to skirt around the issue.

Sitting down next to Sam, Rose leaned forward slightly, trying to remain calm. “I called Mum to see how she was. I’ve been thinking about her a lot since Tony’s been born. He’s getting older, I’d like for her to at least meet him.” Seeing the look on her sister’s face, Rose tried to defend her decision. “She’s not with Jimbo anymore, Louise. She’s with someone else. She’s got a better job now and her husband works too. They moved off of the estate and they live in a proper house.”

“That doesn’t make up for the years she’s ignored us.”

“She wasn’t ignoring us. I made it difficult for her to get in contact with us.” She let out a breath. “She misses us, Lou. I think we should both make the time to visit with her.”

“How can you forgive her for what happened with Jimbo?”

“I never said I forgive her. I’m not ready for any of that. But I would like to see her.”

“It won’t make up for the choices she made. She stayed with Jimbo even after you and Aunt Bev tried telling her he was bad news.” Louise argued, her eyes ablaze.

“I think we just need to talk to her. It can be on neutral ground. I won’t force you to talk to her. Just think about it, yeah?”

“Maybe.” She huffed and looked over at Jack. “Can we go?”

Not wanting to cause any other arguments, he simply nodded as he stood up as Sam went to go get their coats. Jack went over to Rose and pressed a kiss to her cheek, whispering softly to her. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Thanks.” She smiled slightly, crossing her arms over her stomach. She knew once Louise was set in something, that there was little that could be done to dissuade her.

Sam handed the coats out before wrapping an arm around Rose. He wasn’t sure how to make any of this better for Rose and Louise, he just hoped Jack would be there for Louise to support her as he was supporting Rose.

“Thanks for stopping in.” She approached her sister cautiously. “I don’t want to fight, Lou.”

“I’m not upset at you, Rose. I’m more upset with Mum.” Louise wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly. “I don’t want to see you hurting again.”

“I’ll be fine.” Rose promised as she hugged her. “We both will.”

Once Louise and Jack left, Sam wrapped his arms around Rose and held her close, breathing in her scent. “She’ll come around.”

“I hope so.”

“If she doesn’t, I’ll go with you to see your mum.”

Rose picked her head up and looked at him. “You hate parents, you told me.”

“I love you.” He shrugged his shoulders before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“I love you too, Sam.” She leaned up and pressed her lips to his. “Tony asked me something interesting the other day.” Rose told him as she slipped her arms around his neck.

“He’s three. He asks too many questions.”

“Hush.” She tapped his back gently, a small grin on her lips. “He asked me since we were living here, if that meant you were his dad.”

“What did you say?”

“Told him I’d have to ask you. You don’t have to answer me now. You can think about it.”

Sam nodded his head slightly before nuzzling his nose against her neck. This would be a difficult decision for him, one he knew would come up sooner or later. Breaking away from her arms a few minutes later, he pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Do you want to go to bed? I know you have to be up early.”

“Yeah. You go on in, I’ll lock up.”

“Ta.” Brushing her fingers over his arm, she walked down the hall into their bedroom. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and sat down on the bed.

“You all right?” Sam questioned when he walked in a few minutes later. Closing the door he moved over to the bed and sat down next to her.

“No.” She admitted quietly. “I never should have called Mum.”

“You wanted to talk to her, Rose. Louise will come around.”

“I hope so.”

After they changed into their pajamas and settled into bed, Rose on her side and Sam pressed against her back, he let out a breath. He had been caught off guard with Tony’s question to Rose. He loved the boy as if he were his own. But having Tony call him dad was something he needed to consider. Could he be a dad to Tony? He already felt as though he was. Was it something Rose wanted? She wouldn’t have brought it up if she wasn’t okay with it.

“Would you be okay with Tony calling me dad?” He questioned, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

“Course. He’s never really had that. He sees all the kids at day care and at the park with their dads.” She turned her head slightly. “Does it bother you?”

“No. I always thought my own kids would be calling me dad. Never thought Tony would want to.”

“He is yours though, Sam.” She turned on her other side and looked at him. “Since the first time we spent time together, the three of us, all he could talk about was you. He admires you and looks up to you. All the times you play with him or let him spend time with you in the bakery, his attention is always on you.”

“And if John comes back?”

“He doesn’t know where we went. Even if he did, you’re his dad for all intents and purposes. His name isn’t on Tony’s birth certificate. He has no claim on him.” Rose assured him, resting her hand on his chest. “Don’t decide now. Think about it, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Sam leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips as he slipped his arm around her.

“This is my favorite part of the day.” She whispered softly, a shy smile on her lips.

He chuckled softly before pressing a lingering kiss against her forehead. “Get some rest.”

Turning back on her other side, she pressed her back against his chest, letting her eyes flutter closed. “Will you tell me your favorite part of the day?”

“This is it.” He whispered as he pulled her close to him, his own eyes closing.

The more he thought about it, he wanted Tony to call him dad. Rose had been right. He did feel as though Tony were his own. But at the end of the day, having Tony call him dad didn’t make him his.

“Rose?” He spoke her name softly a few minutes later, nudging her to consciousness.

“Hm? What?” She muttered, batting his hand away.

“I want to adopt Tony.” He ran his fingers up and down her arm gently. “I want him to be ours. Not just yours.”

“Ask Tony in the morning, see what he wants.” She nodded her head slightly, closing her eyes again.

“You’d be okay with it?”

“Whatever you and Tony decide I’ll be okay with it.” She promised, letting out a yawn. “Can I go back to sleep?”

“Yeah.” He told her sheepishly, resting his head back on his pillow. Closing his eyes, Sam let out a quiet sigh. He hoped he was making the right decision for everyone.


	13. Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Sam decide to take the necessary steps in order for Sam to adopt Tony while Rose and Louise have another heart to heart. The girls take the next step in trying to fix their relationship with their mother.

Rose looked at her phone for the fifth time that morning, willing a message to pop up from her sister. It had been three weeks since their disagreement and she hadn’t heard from Louise. She knew her sister was still upset, but she never usually went this long without communication. Jack had assured her that Louise was fine, just upset. While she understood, Rose still missed her sister. Rose had called Jackie twice over the past few weeks and while they only spoke for a few brief minutes each time, Rose could hear the sorrow in her mum’s voice every time they spoke. It made Rose want to see her, but the more she thought about it, the more time she needed to be sure letting her mum back into her life would be a good idea.

Since moving in with Sam, Rose took to working in the bakery on the weekends. It allowed Sam to work in the back baking and it gave her time to see why Sam really enjoyed baking. Tony had a small table in the corner and would sit there coloring while Rose worked behind the counter. She felt as though her life really was coming together.

Sam moved walked over to the counter from the back and pressed a gentle kiss against the back of her neck. “Anything from Louise?” He asked softly as he wiped his hands off on a tea towel.

“No. Jack said she was fine though. They were going out today and he was going to talk to her.” She let out a soft sigh before turning her head to look at him. “Jack said he was thinking about moving over to where she is, did he tell you?”

“He mentioned it. He’s never been this serious about someone. Might do him some good.” He sat down on the stool next to her and rested his hand on her lower back.

“Might do them both some good.” Rose turned her head and looked over towards Tony briefly to make sure he was okay. “Will you hire someone else to help you out during the day?”

“I asked Donna. She’s willing to help.”

“The boutique isn’t working out?”

“Doesn’t like the new owners. Told her she was welcome here.”

“Just don’t argue with her all the time.” Rose teased him, bumping her elbow against his side.

“I don’t argue with her! She starts most of them anyway.”

She laughed softly as she leaned into his side. “I can help too when I have my short day.”

“Spend that time with Tony. I’ll be fine.” Sam turned his head and saw Tony was coloring quietly at ‘his’ table. “Have you thought more about it?”

“About what?”

“Tony.”

Rose nodded her head, humming softly. “Yeah. Tony wants you to be his dad. You want to be his dad. We can start the process, if you’re completely sure about this.”

“I am.” He promised, pressing a kiss to her cheek before he got up from the stool and went into the back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What if we split up?” Rose questioned later that night after putting Tony into bed for the night. “Tony will still want to see you.”

“Rose, we’re not going to split up.” Sam leaned back against the couch cushion and looked at her. “Where is this coming from?”

She shrugged her shoulders slightly, fiddling with her shirtsleeve. “I just don’t want either you or Tony getting hurt, Sam.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Rose. If something did happen to us, I would still want to see Tony. Nothing will happen to us, Rose.”

Letting out a sniffle, she sat down on the couch next to him. “I never thought Tony would have a father. John didn’t take it well when he found out I was pregnant. He walked right out when I told him. Didn’t say anything. I tried calling him but he never answered. He sent me a text one day when I was about five months pregnant saying he didn’t want anything to do with the baby and that he didn’t want his name on anything.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m so glad I met you and I’m so glad you want to be in Tony’s life.”

“You’ve never really told me about your relationship with John before.” He slipped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest.

“It wasn’t really a relationship. We had only been out a few times. I slept with him the first day I met him. Got pregnant. Not my best moment.”

“Got you Tony.”

“Yeah, it did. Best thing that’s ever happened to me.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I do want you to adopt him. I’m just scared.”

“Makes two of us.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He confirmed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“We’ll get through it together.” She promised him as she closed her eyes.

It would be another three weeks before Louise reached out to Rose to see if they could talk. Rose offered to make the trip to her flat, but Louise said she would come down so she could see Tony and Jack. Rose stood behind the counter of the bakery, her thumbnail bitten down to the quick. Tony had been excited at the prospect of seeing his Aunt after so many weeks and was busy making a picture for her.

“Mummy.” Tony called to her from the table, waiving the picture in the air.

Going over to him, Rose knelt down and smoothed a hand over the back of his head. “Are you finished, sweetheart?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s gorgeous. Auntie Lou is going to love it. Do you want to make one for Uncle Jack too? I’m sure he’ll be here later.”

“Yeah!” Tony grabbed for another sheet of paper and went back to drawing.

Rose smiled at him and made her way back behind the counter to ring up a few customers that were waiting in line. Trust Tony to make everything better.

“Is Louise here?” Sam questioned as he walked up behind her, placing a hand on the small of her back.

“Not yet. She said she was spending the weekend with Jack, so I’m sure she went over to his first.”

“Jack said they were going to get a house once the school year was over.”

“They are?”

“Yeah.”

“Louise didn’t mention anything.” Rose bit down on her lower lip, giving him a worried glance

“Maybe she wanted to tell you in person.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

A few minutes after ten, Louise walked into the bakery with Jack and was immediately greeted by Tony running over to her with the picture he drew her clutched in his hand. “Auntie Lou!”

“Tony!” She laughed as she picked the boy up in her arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Have you been good for Mummy and Sam?”

“Yeah.” He nodded his head quickly. “Missed you.”

“I missed you too. Why don’t you go draw another picture for me? I need to talk to Mummy about something.” She placed him down on the floor again and took the picture from him.

“Bye-bye.” Tony waved before running back over to ‘his’ table and resumed his drawing.

“Hi.” Rose approached her, a tired smile on her face. “Do you want coffee or tea?”

“Tea would be lovely, ta.” Louise made her way over to a table while Jack walked behind the counter and stood with Sam.

“How is Rosie?” He questioned Sam quietly as he kept an eye on Louise.

“Tired. Tony wasn’t feeling well yesterday and the night before. Between Tony and this thing with Louise she hasn’t had much sleep. How is Louise?”

“She misses Rose and Tony. She’s thinking about finding a school up here to teach with so she can be closer.”

“It’ll be good for them both.”

Jack nodded his head in agreement.

Rose walked over to the table Louise was sitting at with two mugs of tea. Sliding one over to her sister, she took the seat across from her. They sipped their tea in silence before Rose cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too, Rose. I do want to see Mum again. I’m just not ready right now.”

“I know. I might not be ready right now either, but Sam and I are bringing Tony to see her in two weeks. Only for a few hours.”

“Does Tony know?”

“No, he doesn’t. We’re not telling him until that morning, just in case.”

“Could I go with you?”

“Only if you want to, Louise. I won’t push you.”

“I do, Rose. I think I need to talk to her.”

“She misses you.” Rose told her quietly before taking a sip of tea from her mug.

“I miss her too.” Louise shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at Sam and Jack. “He treating you well?” She questioned as she turned her head back towards her sister.

“Yeah. We’re starting the process of him adopting Tony.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Tony wants to call him dad and Sam asked me if he could adopt him. I thought about it and we asked Tony and while he didn’t quite grasp what Sam wanted to do, he seemed okay with it.”

“I’m happy for you Rose.” Louise offered a sister a smile and was relieved when it was returned.

“How are you and Jack doing?”

“Well. I’m considering moving back up here once the school year is over. Might buy a place together.”

“That’s brilliant, Louise. I’m so happy for you.”

“Do you think it will go well with Mum?” She questioned a few minutes later as she stared into her mug. “Haven’t talked to her in ten years.”

“I think it will. I promised her I would bring pictures with me. I’ve spoken to her husband, Pete, twice now. Seems nice.”

“Is it weird that he has the same name as Dad?”

She grinned, shaking her head. “We’ll see when we meet him.”

Sam had offered to put Tony to bed that night and Rose decided to head to bed early as she tried to wrap her head around her afternoon with Louise. Things seemed to be better for the two of them, but Rose wasn’t sure how it would go in two weeks when they met with Jackie. She sighed softly when she felt a pair of warm lips pepper kisses along her back and neck.

“Tony asleep?” She questioned when he moved to lie next to her.

“Yeah. Out in the middle of the story.”

“Thanks for reading to him.” Rose leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Wanted to.” He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close to him. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah, a bit. I just wish this were all behind us, you know? I just want something normal to happen.”

“Nothing about our lives is normal, love.” He reminded her quietly before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Doesn’t mean it won’t get better.”

“Promise?”

“One day everything will be quiet and calm.” He promised as he ran his fingers over her cheek and down her arm.

“You’ll hate it then.”

“I’ll have you and Tony.”

“Always.” Rose gave him a soft smile before moving closer to him. She would always be there for him, just as he would always be there for her.

Louise met them in the front of the bakery two weeks later and they piled into Rose’s car for the trek to the diner where they were going to meet Jackie. Donna and Jack had offered to watch the bakery for Sam so he could go with them, for which Rose was grateful. They had decided on somewhere neutral for their first meeting, despite Jackie wanting them to come to the house. Rose glanced over at Sam as she drove, just for the reassurance that he was there for them. Once she pulled into the lot and parked the car, Sam got out and let Tony out of the car while she let out a breath.

Hopefully this wouldn’t go as badly as she believed it would.

As they settled in at a table, Sam wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss into her hair. “All right?”

“Yeah, think so.”

“Mummy?” Tony called for her, his arms out for her to pick him up as he sat in his booster seat.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Rose picked him up from his seat and sat him on her lap. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes.” He nodded his head.

“Can you wait a while longer until Granny gets here?”

Tony sighed but nodded his head before reaching over for the crayon his Aunt was holding out for him.

“I swear he has your appetite.” Rose glanced at her sister, a small grin on her face.

“Growth spurt.” Louise shrugged her shoulders as she picked up another crayon and drew alongside her nephew.

Rose looked over at the door when she heard the bell ring only to see her mum walk in. Pressing a kiss to Tony’s head she handed him over to Sam. “Go to Sam, love.”

“Daddy.” Tony corrected as he settled in Sam’s arms.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Sit with Daddy for a bit. Mummy will be right back.” She got up from the table and made her way over to Jackie to greet her.

“When did that start?” Louise questioned, gesturing to Tony.

Sam shrugged his shoulders slightly, avoiding eye contact. “Few days ago. When we told him I was going to adopt him.”

“Don’t break either of their hearts.” Louise warned him, her tone sharp.

“I won’t.” He promised.

Jackie and Rose returned to the table a few moments later, Rose choosing to sit next to Sam while Jackie took the seat next to Louise. Jackie hadn’t been sure on how she should act with Louise. She had given Rose a hug, but wasn’t sure what Louise was okay with. Between her daughters, Louise was the least forgiving, that she could see. From what Rose told her of the past ten years, Jackie knew they both had big hearts, something they had in common with their father. Pulling an envelope from her wallet, Jackie slid it over to Louise.

“I thought you and Rose would like to have these. They’re pictures of your father.”

“Thanks.” Louise mumbled as she picked the envelope up.

Rose was grateful when the waitress came over for their orders ten minutes later, only because it caused a break from the silence. She helped Sam sit Tony back in his booster seat and handed him the rest of the crayons so he could color.

“Mummy I give Granny draw?”

“Yeah sweetheart, you can.” Rose reached into her bag and pulled out the paper and handed it to Tony. “Go on.” She nudged him gently, watching as he handed it over.

“For Granny.”

“Thank you, Tony.” Jackie looked at the picture and tried to figure out who the stick figures were. “Can you tell me who you drew?”

Tony leaned over the table with Sam’s help and pointed to the different people. “Mummy, Lou, Unca Jack, me, and Daddy.”

“This is beautiful sweetheart. I’ll hang it up as soon as I get home.”

The little boy settled down in his booster seat again, giving his mum a wide grin.

“You did wonderful, love.” Rose whispered softly, pressing a kiss to his head.

While Tony took up most of the conversation with his grandmother during their lunch, Rose and Louise did drag their mother into conversation with them. Louise told her about Jack and Rose and Sam told her about the adoption process they were going through with Tony. Rose could tell her mum was genuinely interested in hearing about their lives and she vowed to get them together again to share more about the past ten years. After settling the bill, Rose and Sam took Tony outside, leaving Louise to have a few minutes alone with Jackie. Rose hoped that Louise wouldn’t come out of it too upset.

“Rose told me you’re a teacher now?”

“Yes. The lower grades right now. I’m going to a different school come August, one closer to Rose.”

“And this Jack fella?”

“Yeah, he lives in the same town as Rose.” Louise shrugged her shoulders. “What we have is good.”

“I’m glad, sweetheart.”

“Why didn’t you try to come see us when we were at Aunt Bev’s?”

“I thought it would be best if I stayed away. You were both so unhappy.”

“Then why not try to get us back after you ended things with Jimbo?”

“I wasn’t in a good place then, Louise. I didn’t have a job, I couldn’t support you.”

“Rose took night classes and worked two jobs, did you know?”

“Bev told me.”

“It wasn’t her job to take care of me but she did.” Louise reminded her. “If she took two jobs, why couldn’t you?”

“I regret it, Louise.” Jackie told her daughter. “I should have done what I could to get you and Rose back. I want to try now. If you’ll let me.”

Louise sniffled before nodding her head curtly. “Sure.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

Rose and Louise said goodbye to Jackie while Sam slipped a sleeping Tony into his car seat. Once Jackie left, Louise slipped into the car next to Tony while Sam wrapped his arms around Rose and held her for a few minutes. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head once he heard her let out a quiet sniffle.

“Do you want me to drive home?”

“Yeah.” She let out a sigh before handing the keys over to him. Leaning up, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”

Sam shrugged his shoulders slightly before opening the passenger door for her. He knew she was grateful that he had been there for her, but he still felt as though he didn’t do anything to help her. Going around, he slid in the driver’s seat and started the car. It wasn’t until Rose slipped her hand over his that he looked at her again. He could see that her eyes were showing dozens of emotions, but the one he saw more than the others was love. Leaning in he pressed his lips to hers.

“You’re stuck with me.” She reminded him, a soft smile on her lips.

He nodded his head slightly, squeezing her hand. He had been through so much, they both had. But when they needed to, they found each other.

“Fantastic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so very sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Real life got in the way! Hope to have the next and final chapter up soon. Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos on this story. <3


	14. Never Let Me Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sam officially adopts Tony, they head back to the bakery for what they had hoped was a quiet afternoon only to be greeted by their families. As she watches Sam with her family and with Tony, she realizes that being with him brings her peace. He had been her support when she didn't realize she needed it and decides maybe spending the rest of her life with him wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

_Eight months later…_

Tony pushed open the door to his parents’ bedroom and quietly padded over to his mum’s side of the bed. It was nearing three in the morning and he had had a bad dream. Tugging on her sleeve, he whispered her name, trying to wake her up.

“Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.”

Opening her eyes she let out a tired breath as she sat up. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“I sleep here?”

“Did you have a bad dream?” She questioned as she helped him into the bed. She scooted closer to Sam as Tony settled in the bed.

“Monstas.”

“You know those aren’t real, right? Daddy checked your closet before bed.”

“They knock window Mummy.”

“Must have been the wind causing the trees to hit the window.” Sam mumbled as he turned on his side to look at them. “Do you want to sleep in the middle, Tony?”

“Yes.” He squeaked out before climbing over his mum to snuggle down in the middle between both of his parents.

“Sorry we woke you.” Rose whispered softly as she pressed a kiss to Sam’s cheek.

“It’s all right.” He covered Tony up before laying down next to him. “Big day coming up Tony. Best get some sleep.”

“Night-night.” He mumbled as he let out a yawn as he closed his eyes.

“Night, sweetheart.” She shared a smile with Sam before she too snuggled down under the covers and fell back to sleep.

Sam was the first to wake up later that morning, something that was an almost normal occurrence for him. Glancing over he saw Rose was fast asleep with Tony tucked against her chest. He thought back to Tony’s first bad dream after they moved in with him. Rose had been conflicted on whether or not Tony could stay in bed with them. Sam had been the one to help Tony up on the bed and to comfort the boy, despite Rose telling him he needed rest for the next day.

This was what he wanted. His family. Romana and their baby would always been present in his mind but once he accepted that Romana would want him to be happy, he finally felt at peace with his relationship with Rose. Leaning over he pressed a soft kiss to Tony’s head before repeating the same action with Rose. It was still early enough that he could try to fall back to sleep, but he preferred to stay awake and watch them. The first morning he had been able to watch them both sleep, Rose had woken up and told him it was creepy. He knew she was teasing him from the smile on her lips.

“Daddy?” Tony mumbled as he untangled himself from his mum’s arms and rolled over towards the older man.

“Don’t wake Mummy.” He whispered as he quickly picked the toddler up and let him lay on his chest. Sam pressed a kiss to the top of his head as he covered them both up with the blanket. “No more monsters last night, right bud?”

Tony shook his head slightly as he curled against his father and drifted back to sleep.

Sam realized there would never be enough mornings like this. They only got the chance to sleep in on Sundays since Donna and Jack would open up the bakery for him. He wondered if he could convince them to take on Saturday mornings as well, even if they only agreed to two Saturdays a month, he would take it. He glanced over towards Rose and saw she had one eye open and was watching him with a smile on her face. He lifted his arm up and let her snuggle against his side as they both relaxed and enjoyed their morning together.

It was a mad dash that morning as Rose got herself ready and Tony ready while Sam went downstairs to check on the bakery. Jack, Louise, and Donna were watching that morning while Sam, Rose, and Tony went down to the courthouse. It was finally the day that Sam was going to sign the adoption paperwork for Tony. Since it was a Saturday, Sam agreed to close the bakery early and so they could celebrate the new family. Not that Sam or Rose knew that. Jack and Louise were going to surprise them.

Tony ran over to his mum and crashed into her legs before climbing up on the couch so she could put on his shoes. “Mummy, I have two birthdays now?”

Rose laughed softly as she tickled him before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “No, love. You’ll still have one birthday. There’s nothing I can change about that.”

“I have new name.”

“Yes, you will. You’ll have the same surname as Daddy.” Rose slipped his shoes on him and tied them before handing him his bear to play with. “What’s your new name going to be?”

“Tony Mott.” He told her, his eyes wide.

“That’s right.” Sam told them as he walked back into the flat. “What time do we have to leave?”

“Twenty minutes. Will that give you enough time?”

“Yeah, should do.” Sam walked over to her and pressed a kiss to her temple. “You look beautiful.”

His compliments to her were often made through actions. She knew he wasn’t always someone that would say much, but it was always the look in his eyes that made her know how much he treasured her. No matter how he complimented her, she still felt the fluttering in her stomach. “Thank you. Splurged a bit on a new dress.” She blushed slightly as she smoothed out the dress.

Sam tilted her head up and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “It’s not just the dress.” He turned to look at Tony. “Doesn’t Mummy look beautiful?”

Tony nodded his head quickly. “Mummy pretty!”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Rose gave Sam a shy smile before gesturing to the bathroom. “Go shower. You’re down to ten minutes.”

“I’ll be quick.” He pressed another kiss to her lips before he headed into the bathroom for a shower.

It was a quick drive over to the courthouse, during which Sam held Rose’s hand as Tony looked out of the window, telling his parents whenever they passed something he knew.

“Mummy?”

“Yes, Tony?”

“Will you have new name too?”

She smiled softly and turned her head to look at him. “No, I won’t.”

He frowned slightly. “Why?”

“Well, Mummies and Daddies only have the same name when they get married.”

“Marry Daddy, Mummy.”

She glanced at Sam out of the corner of her eye and saw the hopeful look on his face. Ever since they had discussed Sam adopting Tony, he had discussed the possibility of them getting married. She loved Sam, very much, but wasn’t sure if she wanted to get married. She knew all she had to do was tell him she wanted to get married and he would propose. She just wasn’t ready.

“That’s something Mummy and I have to discuss together, Tony. It’s not that simple.” Sam explained.

“Oh.”

They were saved from further conversation as Sam pulled into the parking lot of the courthouse and parked the car. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Rose’s lips in hopes that he could smooth over the question their son asked. Their son. He pulled back and looked at Tony. “Ready?”

“Yeah!”

The whole process was over in about twenty minutes, during which Rose only got teary eyed once.

_“I promise to care for and love Tony as though he were my own.”_

The words Sam spoke in front of the magistrate still rang in her ears. When Sam had asked her if he could adopt Tony, she hadn’t hesitated, knowing that he would care and love for Tony as if he were his own. A few months ago they had discussed adding to their small family and had agreed within the next year or so to start trying. Five years ago children were far from her mind but after she had Tony, all of that changed. Then Sam came into her life and she couldn’t imagine not having a family with him. Their family.

“Mummy!” Tony called as he ran over to her. “I’m Tony Mott now.”

Rose bent down and scooped the boy up in her arms and pressed a kiss to his nose. “You are, love.” She grinned as she smoothed his hair down. “We’ll have to call Gramps later and tell him the good news.” Rose turned her head up and looked at Sam. “Wilf should be home later, yeah?”

“Should be. Didn’t say he was going out when I talked to him yesterday.” He bent down and picked Tony up in his arms and let him sit on his shoulders. “Did the picture come out?”

“Yeah. I’ll get it printed and framed.” She promised as she stood up to press her lips to his in a kiss. “Love you.”

“Love you too. He’s still asking if he gets two birthdays.”

Rose looked up at Tony only to see that he was giving her an innocent and far too wide smile. “Sorry love. Still only one birthday. Why would you want two birthdays? You’ll get older twice as fast and Daddy won’t be able to carry you on his shoulders.”

“No two birthdays then, Mummy.” He shook his head quickly.

“Ready to go home then?” Sam questioned as he tickled Tony’s legs.

“Yes.” Rose slipped her free hand into his as they made their way out of the courthouse.

It wasn’t until Tony was in his car seat that Sam stole another kiss and whispered his thanks against her lips.

“For what?”

“Letting me do this.”

Her eyes softened as she cupped his cheek in her hand. “Tony adores you, Sam. He looks up to you. I’d never would have stopped you. I knew you would always take care of him. Knew it from that time he got sick and you stayed with us to make sure he was okay. You made it clear when you gave him a room in your flat, with everything he could ever need.”

“Just wanted him to feel welcome.” He shrugged his shoulders slightly before opening the car door for her.

Rose smiled softly and slipped into the car and closed the door while he went around and got in himself. Reaching over for his hand, she laced their fingers together. Maybe getting married wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Sam let them into the building through the back entrance and let Tony down so he could run into the main part of the bakery. They had promised him a cupcake, whichever one he wanted, as a special treat for today. They knew he didn’t fully understand what had happened that day and would try to explain it again once he was older. Rose had hoped he wouldn’t regret them when he was older.

“I think he’s had his eye on the peanut butter cupcake you’ve been making.” Rose told him as she hung her bag up on one of the hooks.

“Has chocolate in it.”

“He likes it again.” She shrugged her shoulders softly, giving him a smile.

“Let’s go see where he went to.”

Sam let Rose go through first and followed only a few steps behind her. Tony was standing by his granny while the other occupants of the bakery mulled around. None of them seemed to realize they were there. Rose could see that they had decorated for a party. A party for them, for their new family. Turning her head, she looked up at Sam.

“Did you know about this?”

“No. Jack knows I hate parties. Donna too.”

“That wouldn’t stop them. I wonder if Tony knew about it.” She gestured to the few presents that were on the table. “Maybe that’s why he was asking about a second birthday.”

“Your mum’s been spoiling him.”

“I’ve asked her to stop.” She told him as she slipped her hand into his. She smiled as Tony ran over to them, a grin on his face.

“Party, Mummy.”

“I see. Did you know about it?”

“Yeah! Auntie Lou told me. I no tell though.”

“You did a wonderful job, sweetheart.”

“Rose!” Louise walked over to them, a guilty look on her face. “I didn’t see you come in. You've ruined the surprise.”

“Clearly.” Rose remarked dryly as she sent Tony off to play. “What is all of this then?”

“We wanted to throw you a party. How did it go?”

“Fine. Everything has been filed. Thanks for taking the day off to help out.”

“I got to spend the day with Jack.” Louise glanced over at her boyfriend before turning her attention back to her sister. “Mum is here with Pete.”

“Did you invite her?”

“Yeah. Knew today would be important for you.”

Rose wrapped her arms around her sister in a hug. “Thanks, Lou.” It had been almost a year since Rose started talking to her mum again. For Louise, it had been five months since she started talking to her mum on her own. Rose had been supportive and gave her advice whenever she asked.

“I didn’t want to ruin today, but it sort of slipped out with Mum.” Louise held her left hand up to Rose. “Jack’s asked me to marry him.”

“That’s wonderful, Louise. Congratulations. What did Mum say?”

“She’s happy for us. I think she wanted to launch into wedding planning but held off. I’ll give it a few months and then I’ll go to her for help.”

“Auntie Lou!” Tony called to her from his spot by Jack.

Rose watched as her sister bounced over to her nephew and fiancé, a wistful smile on her face. “Did you know he was going to propose?”

“No. Didn’t think he had it in him.”

“I’m glad they’re happy.”

Sam pressed a kiss to her temple and held her a little bit closer. “They both deserve it.”

“Maybe Mum’ll get her big wedding out of this so that when we get married we can just elope.” Rose told him hopefully before going over to greet her mum and Pete.

It took Sam several minutes to realize what she had implied and grinned to himself as he moved behind the counter to clean up. He knew Rose’s point of view on marriage and while he had tried to assure her it wouldn’t change anything between them, it was still a sore topic between them. His marriage to Romana had been rocky in the beginning until they settled in together and the only examples of marriage Rose had were between her parents and then her mum and Jimbo. She had been young when her father died and the marriage between her mum and Jimbo had been rough. He couldn’t blame her for being hesitant.

“Are you taking care of my daughter and grandson?” Jackie questioned as she walked over to the counter.

“Yeah, I am.” He replied briskly, eyeing up the woman in front of him. “I won’t hurt them Jackie.”

“I know. I see the way you look at her and every time I talk to Tony he’s always on something you did with him or for him.” Her voice softened. “Thank you for bringing them back to me.”

“I just want her happy, Jackie.”

“She is.” They both looked over to see Rose was sitting with Donna, Jack, Louise, Wilf, Pete, and Tony, listening as Tony regaled them with a story about his day. Jackie could see the look of happiness on her face. One she hadn’t seen for years.

“She’s forgiven you.” Sam told her quietly. “Even if she hasn’t admitted it.”

“I should have listened to her.”

“What’s done is done. Spend time now with her and Louise.”

“Are you always this righteous?”

He shrugged his shoulders slight as he watched Jackie walk over to the table and sat down in between her daughters. Over the course of a year and half many things had changed. The biggest change had been Rose walking into his life. He wondered what changes were coming for them in the future and if they would be able to handle them as well as they were now. He was brought out of his musings as he cleaned the counter by Rose’s hand stopping his hand after she placed her mug down on the counter.

“Tony wants to know if you’re coming to sit with us.”

“I’ll be over.”

“Mum said that the presents are for us and Louise and Jack. Small house warming things.”

“We have what we need.”

“Just this once, humor her, yeah? If she got us something we have or don’t need, we’ll take it back.”

“The things I do for you, Rose Tyler.” He murmured before pressing a kiss to her lips.

“You do them out of love.” She told him as she slid onto the stool in front of him. “I remember the first time I came in here. It was my first day at the paper and I was too early so I decided to stop in here. Louise had been in a few days before and told me that the coffee here was the best.”

“You prefer tea.”

“I know. She was just trying to get me to come in here. She told me a few weeks ago that she knew when she first saw you that you and I would be good for each other.”

“What made her decide that?”

“She said there was this look on your face and she could tell you were lost, just like I was.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m glad she told me about this place.”

“What you said before about getting married, is that something you want?” He questioned as he leaned against the back counter.

“Is it something you want?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“Didn’t answer the question, Rose.”

She smiled at him as she brought her mug up to her lips and took a sip of her tea. “Course I do you daft man.”

“I’ll have to get a ring. Tony already gave his blessing.”

“You asked Tony if you could marry me?”

“Who else am I going to ask?”

Rose hid her smile behind her mug as she blushed prettily. “Make sure you take him ring shopping.”

“I will, love.”

Their lives may not be perfect, but they were perfect together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for coming along on this ride! I appreciate all of your comments and kudos. You are all the best!


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